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SAINT LOUIS: 



THE 



FUTURE 



GREAT CITY OF THE WORLD. 



J¥ 



BY L. II'. REAVIS 



THIRD EDITION. 



Henceforth St. Louis must be viewed in the light of her future — her mightiness in the 
empire of the world — her sway in the rule of states and nations. 



**. 




'■: 



ST. LOUIS: 

PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF TIIK ST. LOUIS COUNTY COURT. 

MISSOURI DEMOCRAT PRINT 

1871 . 



59636 



Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1871, by 
L. U. REAVIS, 
In the office of the Clerk of the District Court of the United States in and for the 
Eastern District of Missouri. 









TO JAMES B. EADS, 

THE MAN OF REAL GENIUS AND MARKED FIDELITY TO HIS FRIENDS, 

THE CITIZEN OF GENUINE PATRIOTISM AND RARE PUBLIC 

SPIRIT, THE MAN "WORTHY OF HONOR 

BECAUSE SELF-MADE, 

THIS WOKK, 

DEVOTED TO THE FUTURE OF A CITY WHOSE 

BEST HOPE IS IN SUCH MEN, IS 

DEDICATED BY 

THE AUTHOR. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Pkophetic Voices about St. Louis, 

Fac-simile Letter of the Hon. Horace Greeley about St. Louis, 

The Future Great City — The Argument, 

Thk Railway System of St. Louis, - .... 

Population Considered, - 

"Water as an important auxiliary to the growth of a great city, and the 
advantage possessed by si". louis for an inexhaustible supply, 

Missouri and her Kesources, ------ 

The Minerals of Missouri, - 

Productive Power of the Iron Interest of Missouri, ------ 

Missouri as a Wine-producing State, 

The Civil and Industrial Mission of the American People — The World's. Com- 
merce and Civilization, and the tendency of both toward the Continent 
of North America and the Future Great City, 

America — Poetry, - - 1 

Great Bridge at St. Louis, and its use, when completed, to facilitate the 

future growth of the clty, ----------1 

Appendix, -- -------- ] 



wkwtp^t 



A Presentation of Causes in Nature and Civi- 
lization, WHICH IN THEIR RECIPROCAL ACTION TEND TO 
FIX THE POSITION OF THE FUTURE GREAT CITY 
OF THE WORLD in the Central Plain of North 
America, showing that the center of the World's 
Commerce and Civilization will, in less than One 
Hundred Years, be organized and represented in the 
Mississippi Valley and by ST. LOUIS, occupying as 

SHE DOES THE MOST FAVORED POSITION ON THE CONTI- 
NENT and the Great River; also a complete repre- 
sentation of the Great Railway System of St. Louis, 
showing that in less than ten years she will be 
the greatest Railway Center in the World. 

L. U. R. 



PROPHETIC VOICES ABOUT ST. LOUIS. 



St. Louis alone would be an all-sufficient theme; for who can doubt that this prosperous metro] 
is destined to be one of the mighty centers of our mighty Republic?— Chakles Sumner. 

Fair St. Louis, the future Capital of the United States, and of the civilization of the Wes 
Continent.— James Parton. 

New York Tribune, ) 

New York, February 4, 1870. ) 

Dear Sir: I have twice seen St. Louis in the middle of winter. Nature made her the focus 
vast region, embodying a vast area of the most fertile soil on the globe. Man will soon accomi 
her destiny by rendering her the seat of an immense industry, the home of a far-reaching, e 
expanding commerce. Her gait is not so rapid as that of some of her Western sisters, but she adva 
steadily and surely to her predestined station of first inland city on the globe. 

Yours, HORACE GKEELEY. 

L. U. ItKAVis, Esq., Missouri. 

I also remember that I am in the city of St. Louis — destined, ere long, to be the greatest cit: 
the continent (renewed cheers) ; the greatest central point between the East and the West, at < 
destined to be the entrepot and depot of all the internal commerce of the greatest and most prospe: 
country the world has ever seen; connected soon with India by the Pacific, and receiving the good 
China and Japan; draining, with its immense rivers centering here, the great Northwest, and opei 
into the Gulf through the great river of this nation, the Father of Waters — the Mississippi. Whenev< 
and that time is not far distant — the internal commerce shall exceed our foreign commerce, then s 
St. Louis take the very first rank among the cities of the nation. And that time, my friends, is m 
sooner than any one of us at the present time actually realizes. Suppose that it had been told to yo 
any one of you here present, of middle age — within twenty years past, that within that time sue 
city should grow up here, with such a population as covers the teeming prairies of Illinois and India 
between this and the Ohio, who would have realized the prediction ? And so the next quarter i 
century shall s^e a larger population west of the Mississippi than the last quarter of a century saw i 
of the Mississippi; and the city of St. Louis, from Its central location, and through the vigor, the ener 
the industry, and the enterprise of its inhabitants, shall become the very first city of the United Sti 
of America, now and hereafter destined to be the great republican nation of the world — [Extract f 
a speech delivered in St. Louis, October 13, 1806, by Gen. B. F. Butler. 

Now, sir, when I see." this country, when I see its vastness and its almost illimitable extent; w! 
I see the keen eye of capital and business fastened with steady, interested gaze upon the trade of 
West, and all our Eastern cities in hot rivalry are reaching out their iron arms to secure our tra 
when I see the railroads that are centering here in St. Louis; when I see this city, with 60,000 milef 
railroad communication and 100,000 miles of telegraphic communication; when I see that she stanch 
the head-waters of navigation, extending to the north 3,000 miles, and to the south 2,000 miles; i 
when I see that she stands in the center of the continent, as it were; when I see the population mov 
to the West in vast numbers; when I see emigration rolling toward the Pacific, and all through th 
temperate climes I hear the tramp of the iron horse, on his way to the Pacific Ocean; when I see tov 
and villages springing up in every direction; when I see States forming into existence until the oitj 
St. Louis becomes the center, as it were, of a hundred States, the center of the population and 
commerce of this country — when I see all this, sir, I feel convinced that the seat of empire is to co 
this side of the Alleghanies; and why may not St. Louis be the future Capital of the United States 
America '7— [Extract from a speech of Senator Yates. 



If it were asked whose anticipations of what has been done to advance civilization, for the p 
fifty years, have come nearest the truth — those of the sanguine and hopeful, or those of the cautious a 
fearful — must it not be answered that none of the former class had been sanguine and hopeful enough 
anticipate the full measure of human progress since the opening of the present century ? May it not be I 
most sanguine and hopeful only, who, in anticipation, can attain a due estimation of the measure of futt 
change and improvement in the grand march of society and civilization westward over the continent '? 

The general mind is faithless of what goes much beyond its own experience. It refuses to recen 
or it receives with distrust, conclusions, however strongly sustained by facte and fair deductions, whi 
go much beyond its ordinary range of thought. It is especially skeptical and intolerant toward the avov 
of opinions, however well founded, which are sanguine of great future changes. It does not comprehe 
them, and therefore refuses to believe; but itsometimes goes further, and, without examination, scornful 
rejects. To seek for the truth is the proper object of those who, from the past and present, undertake 
say what will be the future, and, when the truth is found, to express it with as little reference to wh 
will be thought of it as if putting forth the solution of a mathematical problem.— [J. W. Scott. 






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ST. LOUIS, 



THE 



FTTTITEE G-EEAT CITY. 



Great cities grow up iu nations as the mature offspring of well-directed civil 
and commercial agencies, and in their natural development they become vital 
organs in the world's government and civilization, performing the highest 
functions of human life on the earth. They grow up where human faculties 
and natural advantages are most effective. They have a part in the grand 
march of the human race, peculiar to themselves, in marking the progress of 
mankind in arts, commerce, and civilization ; and they embellish history with 
its richest pages of learning, and impress on the mind ,of the scholar and the 
student the profoundest lessons of the rise and fall of nations. They have 
formed in all ages the great centers of industrial and intellectual life, from 
-winch mighty outgrowths of civilization have expanded. In short, they are 
the mightiest works of man. And whether we view them wrapped in the 
flames of the conqueror, and surrounded with millions of earnest hearts, yield- 
ing in despair to the wreck of fortune and life at the fading away of expiring 
glory, or the sinking of a nation into oblivion ; or whether we contemplate them 
in the full vigor of prosperity, with steeples piercing the very heavens, with 
royal palaces, gilded halls, and rich displays of wealth and learning, they are 
ever wonderful objects of man's creation, ever impressing with profoundest 
conviction lessons of human greatness and human glory. In their greatness 
they have been able to wrestle with all human time. We have only to go with 
Volney through the Euins of Empire ; to trace the climbing path of man, from 
his first appearance on the fields of history to the present day, by the evidences 
we find along his pathway in the ruins of the great cities, the creation of his 
own hands. The lessons of magnitude and durability which great cities teach 
may be more clearly realized in the following eloquent passage from a lecture 
of Louis Kossuth, delivered in New York City : 

" How wonderful ! What a present and what a future yet ! Future 1 Then 
let me stop at this mysterious word, the veil of unrevealed eternity. 

" The shadow of that dark word passed across my mind, and, amid the bustle 
of this gigantic bee-hive, there I stood with meditation alone. 

" And the spirit of the immovable past rose before my eyes, unfolding the 
picture-roils of vanished greatness, and of the fragility of human things. 



10 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

"And among their dissolving views there I saw the scorched soil of Africa, 
and upon that soil, Thebes, with its hundrod gates, more splendid than the most 
splendid of all the existing cities of the world — Thebes, the pride of old Egypt, 
the first metropolis of arts and sciences, and the mysterious cradle of so many 
doctrines, which still rule mankind in different shapes, though it has long for- 
gotten their source. 

'* There I saw Syria, with its hundred cities ; every city a nation, and every 
nation with an empire's might. Baalbec, with its gigantic temples, the very 
ruins of which bafiie the imagination of man, as they stand like mountains of 
citrved rocks in the desert, where, for hundreds of miles, not a stone is to be 
found, and no river flows, offering its tolerant back to carry a mountain's 
weight upon. And yet there they stood, those gigantic ruins ; and as we 
glance at them with astonishment, though we have mastered the mysterious 
elements of nature, and know the combination of lovers, and how to catch the 
lightning, and how to command the power of steam and compressed air, and 
how to write with the burning fluid out of which the thunderbolt is forged, and 
how to dive to the bottom of the ocean, and how to rise up to the sky, cities 
like ZSTow York dwindle to the modest proportion of a child's toy, so that we 
are tempted to take the nice little thing up on the nail of our thumb, as Micro- 
megas did with the man of wax. 

<•' Though we know all this, and many things else, still, looking at tne times 
of Baalbec, we cannot forbear to ask what people of giants was that which 
could do what neither the puny efforts of our skill, nor the ravaging hand of 
unrelenting time, can undo through thousands of years. 

" And then I saw the dissolving picture of Nineveh, with its ramparts now 
covered with mountains of sand, where Layard is digging up colossal winged 
bulls, large as a mountain, and yet carved with the nicety of a cameo ; and 
then Babylon, with its beautiful walls ; and Jerusalem, with its unequaled 
temples; Tyrus, with its countless fleets; Arad, with its wharves ; and Sidon, 
with its labyrinth of work-shops and factories ; and Ascalon, and Gaza, and 
Bcyrout, and, further off, Persepolis, with its world of palaces." 

The first great cities of the world were built by a race of men inferior to 
those which now form the dominant civilization of the earth, yet there are 
many ruins of a mold superior, both in greatness and mechanical skill, to those 
which belong to the cities of our own day, as found in the marble solitudes of 
Palmyra and the sand-buried cities of Egypt. It is true, however, that ancient 
grandeur grew out of a system of idolatry and serf-labor, controlled by a selfish 
despot or a blind priesthood, which compelled a useless display of greatness in 
most public improvements. In our age, labor is directed more by practical 
wisdom than of old, which creates the useful more than the ornamental ; hence 
we have the Crystal Palace instead of the Pyramids. 

But, leaving the ancient cities, we are led to inquire, " Where win grow up 
the future great city of the world?" At the very outset of this inquiry it is 
necessary to clearly comprehend a few underlying facts connected with the 
cities of the past and those now in existence, and note the influence of the 
more important arts and sciences that bear upon man's present intellectual and 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 11 

industrial interests, and, if possible, to determine the tendency of the world's 
civilization toward the unfolding future. 

The first groat fact we meet with is, that the inevitable tendency of man 
upon the earth has been to make the circuit of the globe by going westward, 
within an isothermal belt or zodiac of equal temperature, which encircles the 
earth in the north temperate zone. Within this belt has already been embraced 
more than three-fourths of the world's civilization, and now about 850,000,000 
people. It is along this bolt that the processions of nations, in time, have 
moved forward, with reason and order, "in a pre-determined, a solemn march, 
in which all have joined; ever moving and ever resistlessly advancing, encoun- 
tering and enduring an inevitable succession of events." 

"It is along this axis of the isothermal temperate zone of the northern 
hemisphere that revealed civilization makes the circuit of the globe. Here the 
continents expand, the oceans contract. This zone contains the zodiac of 
empires. Along its axis, at distances scarcely varying one hundred leagues, 
appear the great cities of the world, from Pekin in China to St. Louis in 
America. 

"During antiquity this zodiac was narrow; it never expanded beyond the 
North African shore, nor beyond the Pontic sea, the Danube, and the Rhine. 
Along this narrow belt civilization planted its system, from oriental Asia to 
the western extremity of Europe, with more or less perfect development. 
Modern times have recently seen it widen to embrace the region of the Baltic 
sea. In America it starts with the broad front from Cuba to Hudson's -Bay. 
As in all previous times, it advances along a line central to these extremes, in 
the densest form, and with the greatest celerity. Here are the chief cities of intel- 
ligence and power, the greatest intensity of energy and progress Science has 
recently very perfectly established, by observation, this axis of the isothermal 
temperate zone. It reveals to the world this shining fact, that along it civili- 
zation has traveled, as by an inevitable instinct of nature, since creation's 
dawn. From this line has radiated intelligence of mind to the North and to 
the South, and toward it all people have struggled to converge. Thus, in 
harmony with the supreme order of nature, is the mind of man instinctively 
adjusted to the revolutions of the sun, and tempered by its heat." 

" Through the ages one increasing purpose runs, 
And the thoughts of men are widened with the process of the sun." 

It is a noteworthy observation of Dr. Draper, in his work on the Civil War 
in America, that within a zone a few degrees wide, having for its axis the 
January isothermal lino of fort}*-one degrees, all great men in Europe and Asia 
havo appeared. He might have added, with equal truth, that within the same 
zone have existed all those great cities which have exerted a powerful influence 
upon the world's history, as centers of civilization and intellectual progress. 
The same inexorable but subtle law of climate which makes greatness in tho 
individual unattainable in a temperature hotter or colder than a certain golden 
mean, affects in like manner, with oven more certainty, tho development of 
those concentrations of the intollect of man which wo find in great cities. 



12 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

If the temperature is too cold, the sluggish torpor of the intellectual and 
physical nature precludes the highest development ; if the temperature is too 
hot, the fiery fickleness of nature, which warm climates produce in the 
individual, is typical of the swift and tropical growth, and sudden and severe 
decay and decline, of cities exposed to the same all-powerful influence. 
Beyond that zone of moderate temperature, the human life resembles more 
closely that of the animal, as it is forced to combat with extremes of cold, or 
to submit to extremes of heat; but within that zone the highest intellectual 
activity and culture are displayed. Is it not, then, a fact of no little import 
1hat the very axis of this zone — the center of equilibrium between excess of 
beat and cold — the January isothermal line of forty-one degrees — passes 
nearer to the city of St. Louis than to any other considerable city on this 
continent ? Close to that same isothermal line lie London, Paris, Eome, Con- 
htantinople, and Pekin ; north of it lie New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, 
and south of it lies San Francisco. Thus favored in climate, lying in the very 
center of that belt of intellectual activity beyond which neither great man nor 
great city has yet appeared, St. Louis may, with reason, be expected to attain 
the highest rank, if other conditions favor. 

A second underlying fact that presents itself is that nearly all the great 
cities of the world have been built upon rivers, whether in the interior or near 
the ocean's edge: such as Babylon, on the Euphrates; Thebes, on the Nile; 
[Nineveh, on the Tigris; Eome, on the Tiber; Paris, on the Seine; London, on 
the Thames; New York, on the Hudson ; Cincinnati, on the Ohio; St. Louis, 
on the Mississippi; and Constantinople, on the Bosphorus ; while Carthage, St. 
Petersburg, and Chicago belong to interior waters, and Palmyra and the City 
of Mexico to the interior country. 

A third fundamental fact is, that the arts and sciences do more to develop 
interior cities, and multiply population upon tho interior lands, than upon the 
seaboards or coast lands. Steam engines, labor-saving machines, books, the 
value and use of metals, government, the enforcement of laws, and other means 
of self-protection — all have tended more to make tho people of the interior 
in ore numerous, powerful, and wealthy than those who dwell along the shores 
of the oceans. 

A fourth fundamental fact is, that, to all modern civilization, domestic trans- 
portation by water and rail is more valuable to nations of large territorial 
extent than ocean navigation. This fact is founded not only upon the assump- 
tion that a nation's interests are of more importance to itself than to any other 
nation, and it hence necessarily does more business at home than abroad, but 
also upon the fact that the exchanges of domestic products within this country, 
it is estimated, already exceed in value six thousand millions yearly, while tho 
wnolo value of all foreign exchanges is less than one thousand millions a year. 
With every year, as the country advances in population and industry, its 
domestic exchanges gain upon its foreiga ; and those cities, like New York, 
which much depend largely upon foreign trade, are overtaken in the race for 
commercial supremacy by inferior cities more favorably located for transacting 
the far greater business of domestic interchange. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 13 

A fifth fundamental condition upon which to base a high civilization, a pros- 
perous, wealthy, and numerous people, who are destined to build great cities, 
is a country well adapted by nature with suitable climate and resources of soil, 
minerals, timbers, water-powers, and navigable advantages. 

A sixth and final fundamental fact is, that the most favored and surely to be 
a prosperous, wealthy, and numerous people, are those who are favored in land 
and country so far as to be able to organize the producer and consumer, sido 
by side, with full and equal advantages to work out the great problems of 
usefulness in life, and share the liberty, the happiness, and intelligence which 
the world affoi'ds. 

The growth of a city is analogous to the growth of a man, and auxiliary to 
our six fundamental facts are the three following requisites to human life and 
individual prosperity : 

I. The necessity for food. 
II. The necessity for clothing. 
III. The necessity for shelter. 

There can be no civilized life without all of these requisites ; and as they arc 
the products of labor and skill, where they can be produced in the greatest 
abundance and used to the greatest advantage, and the most extensively, will 
almost certainly be the place where the great city will grow up — where our 
problem will be solved. Added to these should be ample facilities for tho 
intercommunion of the people, one with another, and for tho ready exchange 
Df commodities forming foreign and domestic commerce. These may be 
enumerated as good roads, railways, and navigable channels, with attendant 
meap freights. 

Thus, with this statement of fundamental facts, we are enabled to proceed 
to a discussion of the causes in nature and civilization, which, in their recip- 
rocal action, tend to fix the position of the future great city of the world. 

We have seen that the human race, with all its freight of commerce, its bar- 
barism and civilization, its arms and arts, through pestilence and prosperit}*, 
icross seas and over continents, like one mighty caravan, has been moving 
Ibrward since creation's dawn, from the East to the West, with the sword and 
jross, helmet and distaff, to the conquest of the world ; and, like a mighty 
irmy, leaving weakness behind and organizing power in the advance. Hence, 
ve can easily realize that the same inevitable cause that wrested human power 
rom the cities of the ancients, and vested it for a time in the city of the 
Caesars, and thence moved it to the city of London, will, in time, cross the 
Atlantic Ocean, and be organized and represented in the future great city of 
,he world, which is destined to grow up on the American Continent; and that 
;his power, wealth, and wisdom, that once ruled in Troy, Athens, Carthage, 
md Eome, and are now represented by the city of London — the precursor of 
;he final great city — will, in less than one hundred years, find a resting place 
n North America, and culminate in the future great city which is destinod to 
;row up in the central plain of the Continent, and upon the great Mississippi 
river, where the city of St. Louis now stands. 



14 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

In this westward march of civilization, we know that the center of the 
world's commerce, which was once represented by the cities of the Mediter- 
ranean, has moved westward to the Atlantic Ocean, and is now represented by 
the city of London. The tendency is still westward, and that London cannot 
remain the center for any considerable length of time is universally evident. 
Human power is moving westward with an irresistible tendency, and is 
destined to be organized on the American Continent in it3 most absolute and 
gigantic form. 

There may be those who will assume that New York is to be the successor 
of London, and even surpass in population and commercial supremacy that 
ereat city of the trans-Atlantic shore, before the position of the final great city 
is fixed. This is not possible. We have only to comprehend the new character 
of our national industry, and the diversity of interests which it and our rapidly 
increasing system of railways are establishing, to know that it is impossible. 
The city of New York will not, in the future, control the same proportionate 
share of foreign and domestic commerco of the country that she heretofore 
has. New Orleans and San Francisco will take some of the present valued 
trade, and, together with other points which will soon partake of the outpost 
commerce, the trade to and from our country will bo so divided as to prevent 
New York from becoming the rival, much less the superior, of London, as Mr. 
Scott has so earnestly contended. Then, in the westward movement of human 
powor and the center of the world's commerce, from the city of London to 
the Noav World, it is not possible for it to find a complete and final resting 
place in any city of the Atlantic seaboard, but it will be compelled to move 
forward, until, in its complete development, it will be organized and repre- 
sented in tho most favored city in the central plain of the Continent. Besides 
the diffusion of our external commerce through so many channels upon our 
seaboard, so as to prevent its concentration at any one of the seaboard cities, 
there are elements at work in the interior of the country which Avill more 
- urely prevent the city that is to succeed London from growing up on the 
Atlantic shore of our Continent. Every tendency of our national progress is 
more and more to our continental development — a living at home, rather than 
going abroad to distant markets. There is an inherent principle lurking 
among all people of groat continental nationality and resources, which 
impresses them stronger with home interests than with external and distant 
fields of action ; and this principle is rapidly infusing itself among tho people 
of these great valley States ; therefore, it is needless to look into the future to 
see our great cities on either seaboard of our Continent, for they are not 
destined to be there. But most certainly will they grow up in the interior, 
upon the lakes, the rivers, and tho Gulf j and among theso cities of the interior 
•ve are to look for the future great city of tho world — that which London now 
■ raids, and which the westward tendency of tho world's civilization will in, 
ss than one hundred years, build up as the greatest industrial organism of 
the human race. 

Leaving the Atlantic seaboard and coming west of the Appalachian moun- 
tains, we at once enter the domain of tho Mississippi Valley, which comprises 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 15 

an area of 2,445,000 square miles, and extends through thirty degrees of 
longitude and twenty-three degrees of latitude. In this valley, which is still 
new in its early development, there aro already many large and flourishing 
cities, each expecting, in the future, to be greater than others. First among 
these stand Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and New Orleans — four cities 
destined, at no distant day, to surpass, in wealth and population, tho four citie- 
of the Atlantic seaboard — Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. 
Assuming, then, that tho future great city is to bo in the Mississippi Yalley, we 
aro to ascertain which of the four cities it is to be, or whether some new and 
more prosperous rival will present itself for the great mission. As the great 
oily is to bo in tho future, we must view it as the growth of the well-developed 
resources of our country; and, all things being considered, it is but just to say 
that, inasmuch as it will bo an organism of human power, it will grow up in or 
near the center of the productive power of the Continent. That Chicago, 
Cincinnati, St. Louis, and New Orleans have each many natural advantages, 
there can be no question. There is, however, this difference : the area of sur- 
rounding habitable country, capable of ministering to the wants and supplying 
the trade of a city, is broken, in tho case of New Orleans, by tho Gulf and the 
lake, and by regions of swamp ; in the case of Chicago, it is diminished 
one-third by the lake ; while Cincinnati and St. Louis both have around them 
unbroken and uninterrupted areas, capable of sustaining a large population. 
But if wo ask to which of those cities belong the greatest advantages, must 
wo not answer, it is the one nearest tho center of the productive power of 
the Continent? Most certainly, for there will grow up the human power. 
And is not this center St. Louis ? We have only to appeal to facts to estab- 
lish tho superior natural advantages of St. Louis over any other city on the 
Continent. 

But, before we enter upon a discussion of the productive powers of the 
Continent, let us look for one moment at tho elements of human want upon 
which civilization is founded ; and this brings us back to a consideration of our 
auxiliary and essential requisites to our six fundamental facts. Under all 
circumstances, and in every condition of life, in country or clime, the first and 
groatest necessity of man is food ; and, with a civilization and an industry 
universally founded upon tho principle of " for value received," it is incontro- 
vertibly true that, in that part of the country where tho most food can be 
produced and supplied at tho cheapest rates to the consumers, there will be an 
essential requisite to encourage and sustain a dense population. Then, without 
entering into a detailed investigation of the advantages afforded to Chicago, 
Cincinnati, and New Orleans, for obtaining an all-sufficient supply of cheap 
food, we shall at onco assume that St. Louis is central to a better and greater 
food-producing area or country than either one or tho other three cities; and 
that no man can disprove tho assumption, is most certainly true. 

St. Louis is, substantially, tho geographical center of this great valley, 
which, as we have already seen, contains an area of 2,445,000 square miles, and 
will, in the mature development of the capacity of its soil, wield, at least, the 
products of 1,000,000 square miles. That we may infer, approximately, the 



16 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

capacity of the more central portions of this valley for food producing pur- 
poses, we call to the calculation an estimate, made by the Agricultural Bureau, 
of the cereal products of the Northwest for tho nest four decades : 

Year. Bushels. 

1870 762,200,000 

1880 1,219,520,000 

1890 1,951,232,000 

1900 3,121,970,000 

We consume in this country an average of about five bushels of wheat to the 
inhabitant, but, if necessary, can get along with something less, as we have 
many substitutes, such as corn, rve, and buckwheat. A low estimate will show 
that our population will be in : 

Year. Population. 

1870 42,000,000 

1880 „ 56,000,000 

1890 77,000,000 

1900 100,000,000 

Accordingly, we can use for home consumption alone of wheat in : 

Year. Bushels. 

1870 210,000,000 

1880 280,000.000 

1890 '. 385,000,000 

1900 500,000,000 

This calculation is made for Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minne- 
sota • and by taking into the account Nebraska, Kansas, the Indian Territory, 
and Arkansas, four additional States which naturally belong to the account of 
this argument, we at once swell the amount of food for tho next three decades 
to a sufficiency to supply hundreds of millions of human beings, at as cheap 
rates as good soil and human skill and labor can produce it. 

Nor do these States comprise half of the food-producing area of the Valley 
of the Mississippi. Other large and fertile States, more eastern, and southern, 
and western — Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, 
Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska — do now, and will continue to, con- 
tribute largely to the sum total of the food produced in the Yalley States. And 
when we consider that less than one-fifth of tho entire products of tho whole 
country in I860 was exported to foreign countries, thus leaving four-fifths for 
exchange in domestic commerce between the States, and that such is the 
industrial and commercial tendency of our people to a constant proportional 
increase of our domestic over our foreign exchange, wo see an inevitable 
tendency in our people to concentrate industrially and numerically in the 
interior of the Continent. And when we take into the account that not more 
than eighteen per cent, of the soil of the best States of this valley is under 
cultivation, we are still more amazed at the thought of what the future will 
produce, when the whole shall have been brought under a high state of 
improved culture. Then the food-producing capacity of this valley will be 
ample to supply more people than now occupy the entire globe, and with the 
superior advantages of domestic navigation that St. Louis has over any of the 
valley cities, and the still additional advantages which she will have in railway 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 17 

communications, and her proximity to rich soils, -where can a people be 
supplied with more and cheaper food than here ? Not only are the superior 
advantages afforded for tho production of an abundance of cheap corn and 
wheat for food, but also for the growth of rye, oats, barley, sugar, and all 
kinds of vegetables and fruits essentially necessary for the wants of those 
who inhabit the land. In addition to the food taken direct from the soil, St. 
Louis is bettor situated than tho other three cities for being amply supplied, 
at the lowest possible rates, with the best quality of animal food. Not only 
is there every advantage on all sides to be supplied with animal food from 
tho constantly increasing products of agricultural districts adjacent to the 
city, but in twenty hours ride by railway we reach the great pastoral region 
of our country, where, in a few years, cattle and sheep will swarm over the 
wide prairies in infinite numbers, where they are kept in reserve to supply 
the markets of the constantly increasing people. Already tho domestic 
animals — quadrupeds — are more numerous in civilized life than were the 
wild quadrupeds among the aboriginal savages of this country. In the year 
18G0, taken together, horses, asses and mules, oxen, sheep and swine amounted 
to more than one hundred millions, or more than three times the human 
population of the Union. Considering the great pastoral region of our country 
which will, before many years, be brought into use, the increase of quadru- 
peds will, no doubt, bo greater than that of man ; at least, for the next fifty 
years, the increase on the pastoral region will exorcise a valuable influence 
in aiding to establish good and sufficient markets in tho large cities of the 
Valley States, thus concentrating and strengthening the power of the interior 
people, who will find ample food at all times. And, in every view of the 
subject of food, there seems to be no question as to the advantage St. Louis 
will possess for an abundance and for cheapnoss over tho other three cities, 
holding, as she does, the nearest relation to the producer, and with better 
facilities for obtaining it. 

Next to food, as a prime necessity, is the want of clothing. The principal 
materials out of which to make clothing are wool, cotton, linen, and leather. 
Each of these can bo produced cheapest and best in and adjacent to the food- 
producing rogions, or, at any rate, tho wool and tho leather. In fact, in the 
final advancement and multiplication of the human species upon the planet, 
for tho want of room cotton will have to be abandoned, and only those animals 
and vegetables cultivated that can sorvo the double purpose of supplying food 
and clothing, and material for the mechanic arts. This will compel cattle and 
sheep, and wheat and corn, to be the principal food. The flesh of the sheep 
and the cow will supply food, and tho hides, leather and tho wool, clothing. 
The grain of the corn and the wheat will also form food, while tho stalk will 
enter into many uses in art. Tho hog will finally bo compelled to give up the 
conflict of life ; his mission will be fulfilled, and man will require a more 
refined food for his more refined organization. Fish will not be in the way of 
man in his higher and more multitudinous walk upon the earth, and, conse- 
quently, will continue to supply a valuable portion of his food. Cotton will, 
ere long, be driven to an extreme southern coast, and, finally, gain a strong 



18 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

foothold in Central America and other more extreme southern countries, and, 
at last, yield to superior demands. But, to return : St. Louis, on account of 
the large area of rich, and, in most part, cheap lands, surrounding her in every 
direction, has equal, if not better advantages, for being supplied with ample 
materials for cheap and good clothing than any other city on the Continent ; 
and, with superior advantages, as we shall show after awhile, for tho manufac- 
ture of the materials into clothing, she will stand first in facilities to supply 
food and clothing to her ever-increasing people 

Next to food and clothing comes tho necessity for shelter, or houses, which 
are essential to a high civilization. The materials out of which houses are 
mostly made, in American cities, are stone and brick, while the farmer builds 
of stone and wood. Of these building materials an iuexaustible supply is to 
be found in almost any direction we may go out, for three hundred miles, from 
St. Louis. It may be said that, inasmuch as Chicago has the advantages of 
cheapor lumber, she has the advantage over St. Louis in building material ; but 
this does not follow. The new and best buildings of Chicago are made of 
stone and brick, brought from distant places ; while St. Louis stands on an 
immense foundation of good limestone, from which thousands of perch aro 
quarried annually, and worked into first-class buildings. Besides, within fifty 
and one hundred miles from the city, in tho southeastern part of the State, are 
inexhaustible beds of choice qualities of as fine building stone as the Continent 
affords ; also, extensive forests of the most valuable timbers, suited for the 
mechanic arts and for building material. Brick, of first-class quality, aro 
made in various parts of the city, and supply the demand for building purposos. 
Nor can any of these supplies be exhaustod for ages to como. Stone and wood 
are found in abundance in all parts of the Valley States, wherewith to supply 
the farmer with cheap building materials. 

Thus, we have seen that tho three essential requisites, food, clothing, and 
shelter, necessary to man's wants and tho purposes of civilization, can be 
supplied in abundance and cheapness to St. Louis, with greater advantages 
than to any other city belonging to the Valley States ; and these must render 
her the greatest market and the best depot for such materials that the Con- 
tinent affords. 

Passing, then, from those essential requisites, let us take up another line of 
discussion, that bears more directly upon the future development of American 
oommerce and American civilization. I refer to the productive power of the 
Continent, which is tho basis of our physical and material life. In what does 
the productive power of tho Continent consist ? Tho answer must be, that it 
consists in the soils suited to agricultural purposes, the coal-fields, the mineral 
deposits, the valuable forests, tho water-powers, the domestic navigation, and 
all o'crspread with a temperate and healthful climate. Although the largest 
coal and iron deposits of the Continent are already known, the geology of the 
entire extent is so imperfectly known that there still remain undisturbed in 
many of the Territories, and even in some of the States, valuable deposits of 
those two substances, which, ere long, will be unearthed and mado subservient 
to the wants of our people. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 19 

Beginning with the soils of the country, it is well understood, by those 
acquainted with its surface, that the lai-gest and richest body of soil, best 
suited for corn, wheat, oats, rye, and hay-growing, is spread over the Valley 
States. In fact, no country in the world has so large an area of rich laud as 
belongs to the States of the Mississippi Valley. In capacity for producing 
the various products in the department of agriculture, it has alroady been 
referred to in the discussion of the subject of food, and will require no further 
consideration. 

Next to the corn-fields above come the coal-fields below, ana the iron 
deposits. These are the material upon which modern and more advanced 
civilization is founded, more than upon any other substances which the arts 
have brought into use. Says Prof. Taylor : 

" The two important mineral substances, coal and iron, have, when made 
available, afforded a permanent basis for commercial and manufacturing pros- 
perity. Looking at the position of some of the geat depositories of coal and 
iron, one perceives that upon them the most flourishing population is concen- 
trated — the most powerful and magnificent nations of the earth are established. 
If these two apparently coarse and unattractive substances have not directly 
caused that high eminence to which some of these countries have attained, 
they at least have had a large share in contributing to it." 

M. Aug. Vischers also says, that "coal is now the indispensable aliment of 
industry ; it is a primary material, engendering force, giving a power superior 
to that which natural agents, such as water, air, &c, procure. It is to industry 
what oxygen is to the lungs, water to the plants, nourishment to the animal. 
It is to coal we owe steam and gas." 

Whoever will look into the development of commerce and civilization during 
the groator part of this century will find that coal and iron have given them 
their cast and development in Europe and America. Nor have either of these 
attained their highest use. On examination, we find that St. Louis is far better 
supplied than Chicago, Cincinnati, or Now Orleans, with coal and iron ; in 
fact, she stands in a central position to the greatest coal-fields known on tho 
globe. Surrounded on the one side by the inexhaustible coal-bods of Illinois, 
and on the other by tho larger ones of Missouri, Iowa, and Kansas, who can 
doubt her advantages in the use of tho most important substance for the next 
two thousand years ? On the one side wo have Illinois, with her 80,000 square 
miles of coal, which is estimated by Prof. Eodgers to amount to 1,227,500,- 
000,000 tons, which is much greater than the deposits in Pennsylvania — they 
amounting, according to the same authority, to 316,400,000,000 tons. On tho 
other side wo have Missouri, with more than 26,887 square miles, amounting to 
moro than 130,000,000,000 tons. Iowa has her 24,000 square miles of coal ; 
Kansas, 12,000 square miles ; Arkansas, 12,000 square miles ; and the Indian 
Territory, 10,000 square miles. Nearly all the other States are likewise 
bountifully supplied, but these figures are sufficient to show the position of St. 
Louis to tho greatest coal deposits in the world. "We can only approximate 
to the valuo of these resources by contrast. It is tho available use of these two 
substances that has made England — a little island of tho sea, not so groat as 



20 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



the State of Iowa — the great heart of the world's civilization and commerce. 
She, with her 144,000,000,000 tons, or 12,000 square miles, of coal, with its 
greater development and use, reckons her wealth, in substantial value, at 
3100,000,000,000 ; while our nation, with our 3,740,000,000,000 tons, or 500,000 
square miles, of less developed and not so well used coal, and more than 
twenty -five times as large, are only reckoned to be worth $23,400,000,000, with 
an annual increase of §921,700,000. It is true, our nation is only in its infancy, 
but these facts and the contrast teach us how mighty we can be, if we do but 
use these apparently coarse and unattractive substances, coal and iron, as the 
best wisdom and skill will enable. "We possess thirty-four times the quantity 
of coal and iron possessed by England, and perhaps double as much as that 
possessed by all other portions *of the earth. These resources are availably 
located; they are in proximity to the widest plains and richest soils known to 
man. They are developed by ocean-like lakes or magnificent rivers, and are, 
or will be, traversed by railroads from ocean to ocean. Their value is incal- 
culable, their extent boundless, and their richness unequaled. They are mines 
of wealth, more valuable than gold, and sufficiently distributed over this great 
valloy to supply well-regulated labor to 400,000,000 producers and consumers. 
Adjacent to our coal-fields are our mountains of iron of a superior quality, and 
of quantity inexhaustible. Thus is St. Louis favored with coal and iron in such 
endless supplies as to always render them as cheap as the American market 
can afford. The rich deposits of precious metals which belong to the great 
mountain system of our continent, being on the west side of the valley, have 
already, and will necessarily yet more, contribute to building up the interior of 
the country than either coast region ; and though this interest never can be so 
valuable as that of coal and iron, it is of immense value and important in its 
bearing upon the subject under discussion. Already the account has been 
made large, as the following table shows, but not the half has been taken from 
those rich and extended mines : 



Table showing the Growth of Coinage of the United States from 1793 to 1867. 



TEARS. 


GOLD. 


SILVER. 


COPPER. 


TOTAL. 




$1,014,290 00 


31,440,454 75 


$79,390 82 


$2,534,135 57 


1801 to 1810, 10 " 


3,250,742 50 


3,569,165 25 


151,246 39 


6,971,154 14 


1811 to 1820, 10 " 


3,166,510 00 


5,970,810 95 


191,158 57 


9,328,479 52 


1821 to 1830, 10 " 


1,903,002 50 


16,781,046 95 


151,412 20 


18,835,551 65 


1831 to 1810, 10 " 


18,791,862 00 


27,109,779 00 


342,322 21 


46,333,963 21 


1841 to I860, 10 " 


. 113,328 00 


22,226,755 00 


380,670 83 


112,050,753 83 


1851 to 1860, 9£ " 


470,838,180 98 


48,087,763 13 


1,249.612 53 


520,175,556 64 


1SG1 to 18G7, 7 " 


296,907,464 G3 


12,038,732 11 


4,869,350 00 


314,475,546 74 


Total, 74 years 


8885,375,470 61 


8137,914,587 14 


$7,415,163 55 


Sl,030,705,141 30 





Yaluablo forests of the best timbers used in mechanical industry are to be 
found in the southeastern part of the State, and will, in due time, furnish 
material for agricultural implements, furniture, and the various uses to which 
timber is applied. Water powers, not surpassed in any part of New England, 
are to be found in many parts of the southern half of the State, and which, 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 21 

when properly improved, will contribute largely to the commercial interests 
of St. Louis. 

There still remains to be considered the domestic navigation of the Missis- 
sippi Valley. This includes, in its broadest scope, the Gulf and the greater 
lakes, with the Mississippi river and her tributaries, which comprise the finest 
inland navigation on the globe. These rivers afford moro than 20,000 miles of 
navigable water, which form transportation facilities for the commerce of the 
most productive portions of the great Valley States. The following remark of 
Col. Benton is very expressive of the magnitude and importance of the river 
system of this great valley : 

"The river navigation of the Great West," said he, "is the most wonderful 
on the globe, and, since the application of steam power to the propulsion of 
vessels, possesses the essential qualities of open navigation. Speed, distance, 
cheapness, magnitude of cargoes, are all there, and without the perils of the 
sea from storms and enemies. The steamboat is the ship of the river, and find- 
in thft Mississippi and its tributaries the amplest theater for the diffusion and 
the display of its power. Wonderful river! Connected with seas by the head 
and by the mouth, stretching its arms toward the Atlantic and the Pacific, 
lying in a valley which is a valley from the Gulf of Mexico to Hudson's Bay ; 
drawing its first waters not from rugged mountains, but from the plateau of 
the lakes in the center of the Continent, and in communication with the 
sources of the St. Lawrence and the streams which take their course north to 
Hudson's Bay ; draining the largest extent of richest land, collecting the pro- 
ducts of every clime, even the frigid, to bear the whole to market in the sunny 
South, and there to meet the products of the entire world. Such is tho Missis, 
sippi; and who can calculate the aggregate of its advantages and tho magnitude 
of its future commercial results ? " 

St. Louis is centrally situated in this great system of domestic navigation, and 
cannot fail to be, in all the future, the most important city and depot identified 
with its interests. In the nature of river navigation, a smaller class of boats 
is required for the upper waters than those which can be most economically 
used in deeper streams, and hence arises a necessity for transfer, at some point, 
from up-river boats to those of greater tonnage; and at that point of transfer, 
business must arise sufficient of itself to sustain a considerable city. The fact 
that St. Louis is this natural point of transfer between the upper waters of 
the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois, and the great channel thence to the Gulf, 
is not to bo overlooked in estimating its natural advantages. To the domestic 
navigation we add the railway system of the Valloy States, which will, in a few 
years more, comprise more than 100,000 miles; and, by referenco to the map 
illustrating this now inland agency for tho easy exchange of products and 
people, we bohold at a glance a most wonderful system traversing all parts of 
these States. In the rapid construction of these lines of communication, St. 
Louis is fast becoming the greatest railway center on the Continent, as Avell as 
in the world, and, with her advantages for domestic navigation, she is soon to 
be provided with the best commercial facilities of any city on the globe; an 
to her 20,000 miles of river navigation will be added, in less than fifteen years, 



22 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

a continental system of railway communication ; and with all these constantly 
bearing an ever-increasing commerce to her markets, who cannot foresee her 
destiny among the cities of the world? These thousands of miles of railway 
can be built the cheapest of any extended system in the world, as they are 
unobstructed by mountain ranges j they will also be the straightest, shortest, 
and best routes from point to point, for the same reason. Granting that she 
will become the center of the greatest railway communication and of river 
navigation in the country, we must take into the account the question of 
freights, as an item of interest which will bear directly upon the subject of 
tbe growth of all American cities. Cheap freights will have a direct and 
important bearing upon the matter of distributing food and raiment to the 
people of the Valley States, and also of giving to their products the advantages 
of the best market. To settle this question in favor of St. Louis, involves but 
two points necessary to be considered: the first, the universal competition 
constantly existing between the various rival railroads of tbe Valley States, 
which will, of necessity, make the freights to St. Louis as cheap as to any other 
city; the second point is, that St. Louis stands in the midst of the greatest 
producing and consuming region of the country, and in this she cannot fail 
to have the advantage over any rival city that may aspire for empire in the 
republic or the world. Situated, then, as she is, in the very heart of the 
productive pow'er of the countr}-, and destined, at a very early date, to be 
connected by railway and by water, in the most advantageous way, with 
every city and harbor upon our seacoast, and with every inland city and 
productive region where industry and' wealth can find opportunit}*, we are 
lod to consider her future as a commercial and manufacturing city, and her 
advantages to become a distributing point for the future millions of industrious 
and intelligent of our race who are yet to inhabit this Continent, under one flag 
and one language. 

Let us go a little deeper into the discussion. Having pointed out a condi- 
tion of advantages which nature, by an inscrutable wisdom, has organized 
sufficiently strong to insure, under a well-directed civilization, the production 
on our Continent of the future great city of the world, it is a part of the argu- 
ment to point out some of the essential incidental wants and conditions which 
must control the use of products in civilized life, in order to make them sub- 
serve the highest use in supplying the wants of man. 

The first essential want of any productive people is markets, whereat to 
dispose of their surplus products, mechanical or agricultural, at profitable 
prices. Markets are a want of population in all lands. Mr. Seaman says, in 
tho first sories of his valuable work on the progress of nations, that " popula- 
tion alone adds value to lands and property of every kind, and is, therefore, 
one of the principal sources and causes of wealth." And why is it so ? Simply 
because it creates a market by causing a demand for property and products ; 
it enhances their price and exchangeable value, rewards the producer for his 
industry, and encourages and increases industry and production. Population 
thus creates markets, and markets operate to enhance prices and to increase 
wealth, industry, and production. Markets are, therefore, among the principal 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 23 

causes and sources of value and of wealth, and stimulants of industry. The 
farmer, mechanic, miner, and manufacturer are all beneficial to each other, for 
the reason that each wants the products of every other in exchange for his 
own, and thus each creates a market for the products of all the others, and 
thereby enhances prices and stimulates their industrj\ Hence the advantage 
to the farmer of increasing mechanical, manufacturing, and mining industry, 
as far as practicable, in his own country, in order to create a market for hie 
products and to encourage domestic commerce. 

Agricultural products alone cannot furnish tne materials of an active 
commerce, and two nations almost exclusively agricultural have seldom much 
intercourse with each other. Tyre, Carthage, and Athens, in ancient, and 
Venice, Florence, Genoa, and the Netherlands, in more modern times, were the 
greatest of commercial nations at their respective eras, as Great Britain is 
now, because they wore also in advance of all other nations in the mechanic 
arts and manufactures, and their commerce was based on their mechanism and 
manufacturing industry, which furnished the principal subject-matter and 
materials for making exchanges and carrying on commerce with foreign 
nation's. Then it is that the people of this great valley must look to the 
proper and highest use of the resources and materials which nature has so 
bountifully bestowed. Capital and skill must be made to supply the ever- 
increasing demand of this growing people, and thus it will become the mightiest 
in art, tho most bountiful in the field, and the richest in commerce, "and in 
peace more puissant than army or navy, for the conquest of the world ;" and, 
stimulated to loftier endeavors, each citizen^ yielding to irresistible attraction, 
will seek a new life in the great national family. 

But it is argued by some that a city cannot be successful in the pursuit of 
both commercial and manulacturing interests. This cannot be maintained as a 
correct position. There never has been any war between commerce and the 
mechanic arts. There can be none. They are the twin offspring of industry 
and intelligence, and alike dependent op each other for prosperity. The false 
conception of the relations they hold to each other, and the condition of pros- 
perity the}' impose upon a city, come from a failure to perceive the true 
interests. The principles of economy regulate them both, and it is rarely that 
a city situated, as they are, on a harbor, on tho coast, or an available point on a 
river, where commerce can find its easiest exchange, is equally advantageously 
situated with reference to the raw material necessary to enter into the mechanic 
arts on such terms of competition as to enable the producer to compete with 
rival products in the market of the country. It is because cities are so situated 
that a strict adherence to the rules of economy cannot admit of the union of 
commerce and mechanic arts in the same city, that some suppose that a com- 
mercial city cannot bo made a manufacturing city, and that a manufacturing 
city cannot be made a commercial city. 

Tho following remarks, from a writer in tho New York Times, is a valuable 
item in our argument : " No one who desires to understand the whole subject of 
his country's future should fail to seok the metropolitan center of that country. 
The question which puzzles the people, and even the newspapers, of late, is 



24 .ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

this, ' Where is Paris, the London, or the Jerusalem, of the nation?' I 
know New York has yet the clearest title to that claim, but of late St. Louis 
has epoken much and often in her own behalf — with what truthfulness, I 
propose to examine. Chicago has been heard, Cincinnati puts in her voice, 
Philadelphia prides herself upon her strength and beauty, Boston calls herself 
the hub, and others put in their claims. Now, next to New York, I am 
disposed to regard the claim of St. Louis. Before slavery died this claim was 
not worth much, but that dead weight is now removed. Standing here, then, 
in St. Louis, an Eastern man, I cannot resist the impression that I am in the 
future commercial, if not political, metropolis of the land. A thousand voices 
conspire to enforce this impression upon the not very prophetic mind. I would 
make no invidious flings at the check of Chicago, the conceit of Boston, the 
cool silence of a New Yorker, as he points to a forest of masts and a million 
of people, the nonchalant airs of the City of Brotherly Love, and the peculiar 
habits of Cincinnati. Chicago has the railroads, she says. Granted. A 
metropolis of railroads, without a river deep, pure, and broad enough to afford 
drink to her present population, suggests the idea that railroads cannot make a 
city. Pitchburg, in Massachusetts, has more railroads than any New England 
town. What does that bring her, save the name of being Fitchburg? Ship- 
ping alone, which you have in New York, cannot make a city. Philadelphia 
may keep on annexing every town in Pennsylvania, and Jersey, too, and that 
cannot make a metropolis. The pork trade flourishes in Cincinnati, but even 
so respectable a constituency as a gentlemanly porker, who loves luxury, lives 
on the fat of the land, and is otherwise excessively aristocratic, cannot make a 
metropolis. In fact, no great cosmopolitan center can be made out of one 
specialty. Manchester is greater thau London in its specialty, but Manchester's 
specialty must alwaj's keep it constrained, and prevent its ever becoming a 
center. Cologne, with 'seventy-nine well-defined, distinct, and separate' 
perfumes, has made it the city of odors, but Cologne can never be a capital. 
Shoes make and kill Lynn at once. Lowell and Lawrence have reached their 
highest glory. Chicago is a depot for speculators in grain, and Cincinnati 
abounds in hogs, but this is the end of their gloiy. Now York and St. Louis 
are alike in this : you will find every specialty in about equal proportion. St. 
Louis only needs one thing to make it to the West what New York is to the 
East — railroads. She is not even an inland city. Light-draught sailing vessels 
can sail from St. Louis to London. All that she further needs is age. Up to 
1S66, capital was slow to venture and settle down in this city. Save a few 
thrifty Germans, the population of St. Louis was southern. This was her 
condition up to this time, so that she is, practicaify, a city of only ten years' 
growth." 

There is another principle that enters into the account, which may bo termed 
the involuntary or fortuitous cause — a kind of happening so ! It is tho highest 
form of incidental action in commerce. Often commerco, as if by the control 
of an unknown law, will change from one city to another, and impoverish tho 
one and give vitality and strength to the other. These changes, at first thought, 
seem to be as inexplicable as the eddy movements of tho water in the stream. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 25 

They aro changes that usually have their origin in the action of a single man 
in the timely use of mono}-, sometimes by a distant cause, sometimes by 
legislation; but never does commerce forsake an available point for the 
development of mechanical industry. Looking at St. Louis, with her location 
for internal commerce and mechanical industry without a parallel on the 
earth, we can safely say that she is destined to unite in one great interest 
u system of commerce and manufacturing that will surpass in wealth and 
skill that of Old England. It is true, her iron furnaces aud glass factories 
will bo built some distance outside of her corporate limits, but the wealth 
and the labor will be hers, and beneath her sway will bo united side by side, 
in the most profitable relations and on the largest scale, the producer and 
consumer; and they, actuated by a universal amity, will seek the most liberal 
compensation, attain the highest skill, aspire to a better manhood, and learn 
to do good. The manufacturing of wood into its various uses will also form 
a very important part of the industry of this city, as will also the manufac- 
turing of fabrics of various kinds. Thus, with a great system of manufac- 
turing industry, compelling the coal, the iron, the wood and the sand to 
servo the purposes and wants of the commercial interests, as well as to enter 
into all channels through which capital flows and which industry serves, both 
wealth and population will be developed and concentrated in the highest 
degree. The time fixed for the future great city of tho world to grow up, 
as the most consummate fruit of man's civilization, is within one hundred 
years from our date. 

Let us look still deeper into this matter, and consider the new agencies and 
influences that tend in modern times with such irresistible force to con- 
centrate mankind in the great interior cities of the Continents. Tho greatest 
of these agoncies compels a more rapid development of the internal commerce 
of modern nations than in past times, and the consequent organization and 
concentration of human power in tho interior cities. 

There is not a living man whoso experience, if he knows tho facts written in 
the records of his own land, does not teach him of tho continental growth and 
the consequent interior development of tho country, in support of the argu- 
ment under consideration. So great aro the facts, that the constant develop- 
ment oft he internal trade of our continent is rapidly reversing the proportion 
of our domestic to our foreign commerce, so as to soon show the latter to stand 
in comparative valuo to the former, as the cipher to the unit; and that the 
immense growth of our domestic and internal commerce will guide and con- 
trol our industry, and establish and organize human power and civilization in 
our own land in conformity to tho most economic principles of production, sup- 
ply and demand, thcro is no manner of doubt. This done, our foreign com- 
merce will only be ancillary to the enjoyments of our pooplo, and contribute to 
the development of cosmopolitan ideas among the world's inhabitants, more 
than to the creation of wealth among the nations. 

It may bo asked, to what cause must this change in the relative valno of 
foreign and domestic commerce, and the influence of each upon civilized man, 
be referred? The answer is, that steam is the cause. It is tho most wonder- 



26 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

ful artificial agency to advance public and private wants that man has yet made 
subservient to his will. It almost serves his entire mechanical wants — 

" It sows, it sculls, it propels, it screws ; 
It lifts, it lowers, it warps, it tows, 
It drains, it plows, it reaps, it mows; 
It pumps, it bores, it irrigates, 
It dredges, it digs, it excavates ; 
It pulls, it pushes, it draws, it drives, 
It splits, it planes, it saws, it rives; 
It carries, scatters, collects, and brings, 
It blows, it puffs, it halts, it springs; 
It breaks, condenses, opens and shuts, 
It picks, it drills, it hammers, it cuts ; 
It shovels, it washes, jnixes, and grinds, 
It crushes, it sifts, it bolts, it binds; 
It thrashes, winnows, punches, and knoads, 
It molds, it stamps, it presses, it feed3, 
It rakes, it scrapes, it bores, it shaves, 
It runs on land, it rides on waves ; 
It mortices, forges, rolls, and rasps, 
It polishes, rivets, files, and clasps ; 
It brushes, scutches, cards, and spins, 
It puts out fires, and papers pins ; 
It weaves, it winds, it twists, it throws, 
It stands, it lies, it comes, it goes; 
It slits, it turns, it shears, it hews, 
It coin3, it prints — aye, prints the news." 

Thus we have a suggestive statement, in measure, of many of the varied uses 
of steam. Its value cannot be estimated, nor can the wonderful influence 
which its use, during the last half century, has exerted upon civilized man bo 
measured. 

We, then, again repeat that it is this agency that is rapidly transforming the 
ancient order of the world's industry and commerce to a new application and 
a now power ; and will compel the cities of the interior, in the future, to outgrow 
in all time the coast cities. It is this agency, more than all other mechanical 
agencies, that has lifted mankind from the vassal empires of Cyrus, the Cicsars, 
and Cbarlemange, to the great empires of our own time. It is this agency that 
will forever dovelop domestic commerce to a vastly greater value than tbat 
of foreign commerce, and, consequently, is the most powerful agent to produce 
the great city of the future that the genius of man has made subservient to 
his wants. 

But let us not be understood as desirous ot undervaluing foreign trade. We 
hope and believe that its greatest blessings and triumphs are yet to como. Many 
of the articles which it brings to us add much to our substantial comfort, such 
as woolen and cotton goods, sugar and molasses ; and others, such as iron and 
steel, with most of their manufactures, give much aid to our advancing arts 
But if these articles were the products of domestic industry— if they wero 
produced in the factories of Lowell and Dayton, on the plantations of Louisiana 
and in the furnaces, forges, and workshops of Pennsylvania and Missouri— 



ST. LOUIS, TUE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 27 

why would not tho dealing in them, have the same tendency to enrich as now 
that they are brought from distant countries ? 

A disposition to attribute the rapid increase of wealth in commercial nations 
mainly to foreign commerce, is not peculiar to our nation or our time ; for we 
find it combated as a popular orror by distinguished writers on political econ- 
omy. Mr. Hume, in his essay on commerce, maintains that the only way in 
which foreign commerce tends to enrich a country is by its presenting tempt- 
ing articles of luxury, and thereby stimulating the industry of those in whom 
a desire to purchase is thus excited — the augmented industry of tho nation 
being the only gain. 

Dr. Chalmers sa}"8 : " Foreign trade is not the creator of any economic 
interest ; it is but the officiating minister of our enjoyments. Should wo consent 
to forego those enjoyments, then, at the bidding of our will, the whole strength 
at present embarked in tho service of procuring them would be transferred to 
other services — to the extension of home trade ; to the enlargement of our 
national establishments ; to tho service of defense, or conquest, or scientific 
research, or Christian philanthropy." Speaking of the foolish purpose in Bona- 
parte to cripple Britain by destroying her foreign trade, and its utter failure, ho 
says : " The truth is, that tho extinction of foreign trade in one quarter was 
almost immediately followed up either by the extension of it in another quarter, 
or by the extension of the homo trade. Even had every outlet abroad been 
obstructed, then, instead of a transference from one foreign market to another, 
there would just be a universal reflux towards a home market that would be 
extended in precise proportion with every successive abridgment which took 
place in our external commerce." If these principles are true — and we believe 
they are in accordance with those of every eminent writer on political econ- 
omy and if they are important in their application to the British isles — small 
in territory, with extensive districts of barren land, surrounded by navigable 
waters, rich in good harbors, and presenting numerous natural obstacles to 
constructions for the promotion of internal commerce; and, moreover, placed 
at tho door of tho richest nations of the world — with how much greater forco 
do they apply to our country, having a territory twenty times as large, unri- 
valed natural means of inter-communication, with few obstacles to their indefi- 
nite multiplication by tho hand of man ; a fertilitj" of soil not equaled by the 
whole world; growing within its boundaries nearly all the productions of all 
the climes of the earth, and situated 3,000 miles from her nearest commercial 
neighbor. 

Will it be said that, admitting tho chief agency in building up great cities to 
belong to internal industry and trade, it remains to bo proved that New York 
and tho other great Atlantic cities will feel less of the beneficial effects of this 
agency than St. Louis and her Western sisters ? It does not appear to us diffi- 
cult to sustain, by facts and reason, tho superior claims in this respect of our 
Western towns. It should be borne in mind that tho North American Valley 
embraces tho climate, soils, and minerals usually found distributed among many 
nations. From the northern shores of the upper lakes, and the highest navigable 
points of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, to the Gulf of Mexico, noarly all the 



28 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

agricultural articles which contribute to the enjoyment of civilized man are 
now, or may be, produced in profusion. The North will send to the South 
grain, flour, provisions, including the delicate fish of the lakes, and the fruits 
of a temperate clime, in exchango for the sugar, rice, cotton, tobacco, and the 
iruits of the warm South. These aro but a few of the articles, the produce of 
1 he soil, which will be the subjects of commerce in this valley. Of mineral 
productions which, at no distant day, will tend to swell the tide of internal 
commerce, it will suffice to mention coal, iron, salt, lead, lime, and marble. 
Will Boston, or New York, or Baltimore, or New Orleans, bo the point selected 
for the interchange of these products? Or shall we choose more convenient 
central points on rivers and lakes for the theaters of these exchanges ? 

It is imagined by some that the destiny of this valley has fixed it down to 
the almost oxclusivo pursuit of agriculture, ignorant that, as a general rule in 
all ages of tho world, and in all countries, the mouths go to the food, and not 
(ho food to the mouths. Dr. Chalmers says : " Tho bulkiness of food forms ono 
of those forces in the economic machine which tend to equalize the population 
of every land with tho products of its own agriculture. It does not restrain 
disproportion and excess in all cases ; but in every largo State it will bo found 
that wherever an excess obtains, it forms but a very small fraction of the 
whole population. Each trade must have an agricultural basis to rest upon: 
for in every process of industry, tho first and greatest necessity is that the 
workmen shall be fed." Again : " Generally speaking, the excrescent (tho pop- 
ulation over and above that which the country can feed) bears a very minute 
proportion to the natural population of the county- ; and almost nowhere does 
1 he commerce of a nation overleap, but by a very little way, the basis of its 
o wn agriculture." The Atlantic States, and particularly those of Now England, 
cannot claim that the)- are to become the seats of tho manufactures with which 
(he West is to be supplied; that mechanics, and artisans, and manufacturers 
are not to select for their place of business the region in which the means of 
:iving are most abundant and their manufactured articles in greatest demand, 
hut the section which is most deficient in those means, and to which their food 
and fuel must, during their lives, be transported hundreds of milos, and the 
products of their labor be sent back tho same long road for a market. 

Such a claim is neither sanctioned by reason, authority, nor experience. Thj 
mere statement exhibits it as unreasonable. Dr. Chalmers maintains that the 

excrescent" population could not, in Britain oven, with a free trade in broad- 
i tuffs, exceed one-tenth of all tho inhabitants; and Britain, be it remembered, 
is nearer tho granaries of tho Baltic than is New England to tho food-export- 
v ing portions of our valley, and eho has also greatly the advantage in the 
diminished expenses of transportation. But the Eastern manufacturing States 
have already nearly, if not quite, attained to the maximum ratio of excrescent 
population, and cannot, therefore, greatly augment their manufactures without 
a correspondent incroa6e in agricultural production. 

Most countries, distinguished for manufactures, have laid tne lounuation in 
a highly improved agriculture. England, tho north of France, and Belgium 
have a more productive husbandry than any other region of tho same extent. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 20 

In these same countries are also to be found the most efficient and extensivo 
manufacturing establishments of the whole world j and it is not to bo doubted 
that abundance of food was one of the chief causes of setting them in motion. 
How is it that a like cause operating here will not produce a like effect ? Have 
wo not, in addition to our prolific agriculture, as many and as great natural 
aids for manufacturing as any other country? The water-power of Missouri 
alone is greater than that of Now England; besides, there are immense facili- 
ties in the States of Kentucky, Minnesota, and Ohio, as well as valuable advan- 
tages possessed in all the Valley States. But to those wator-powers can be 
added the immeasurable power of steam in developing manufacturing industry 
in our own as well as other States of this valley. 

If our readers are satisfied that domestic or internal trade must have the 
chief agency in building up our great American cities, and that tho internal 
trade of the groat "Western Yalley will be mainly concentrated in the cities 
situated within its bosom, it becomes an interesting subject of inquiry how our 
leading interior city will, at some distant period — say one hundred years — 
become the great city of the world, and gather to itself the preponderance of 
the industry and trade of the continent. 

But our interior cities will not depend for their development altogether on 
internal trade. They will partake, in some degree, with their Atlantic and 
Pacific sisters, of tho foreign commerce also ; and if, as somo seem to suppose, 
the profits of commerce increase with the distance at which it is carried on, and 
the difficulties which nature has thrown in its way, tho Western towns will have 
the same advantage over their Eastern rivals in foreign commerce, which som- 
claim for the latter over the former in our domestic trade. St. Louis and her 
lake rivals may use the outports of New Orleans and New York, as Paris and 
Vienna use those of Havre and Trieste; and it will surely one day come to 
pass that steamers from Europe will enter our great lakes and be seen boominv. 
up tho Mississippi. 

To add strength and conclusiveness to the above facts and deductions, do our 
readers ask for examples ? They are at hand. Tho first city of which we have 
any record is Nineveh, situated on tho Tigris, not less than 700 miles from its 
mouth. Babylon, built not long after, was also situated far in tho interior, on 
the river Euphrates. Most of the great cities of antiquit}-, some of which were 
of immense extent, were situated in the interior, and chieily in tho valleys of 
largo rivers meandering through rich alluvial territories. Such wore Thebes, 
Memphis, Ptolemais and Eome. 

But when we consider that our position in vindication of tho superior growth 
of interior cities over outports is sustained by the civilization of tho ancient 
nations, as found iu tho examples of their great interior cities, and that, too, 
when water facilities ruled the commerce of the world, must not all opposing 
argument in favor of seaboard cities be of naught when we bring to the dis- 
cussion the power and use of steam, tho railway system, and the labor-saving 
and labor-increasing inventions which tho arts afford ? Comprehending this 
mighty reversal in the order and means of industrial civilization, must we not 
sa}-, with Horace Greeley, that " salt water is about played out"? 



30 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

Of cities now known as loading centers of commerce, a large majority have 
been built almost exclusively by domestic trade. What country has so many 
great cities as China — a country, until lately, nearly destitute of foreign 
commerce ? 

There are now in the world more than 300 cities containing a population of 
50,000 and upwards ; of these more than two-thirds are interior cities, contain- 
ing a population vastly greater than belongs to the outport cities. It should, 
however, be kept in mind that many of the great seaports have been built, and 
are now sustained, mainly by the trade of tho nations respectivcl}- in which 
they are situated. Even London, tho greatest mart in the world, is believed to 
derive much the greater part of tho support of its vast population from its trade 
with the United Kingdom. At tho present time not one-fifteenth of tho busi- 
ness of New York city is based upon foreign commerce, but is sustained by the 
trade growing out of our home industry. 

Though the argumont is not exhaustive, it is conclusive. It is founded in 
the all-directing under life-currents of human existence upon this planet, and 
from its principles there is neither variableness nor shadow of turning away. 
Man's home is upon the land ; he builds his master-works upon its sure foun- 
dations. It is upon the land that he invents, contrives, plans, and achieves 
his mightiest deeds. He spreads his sails upon the seas and battlcs..with the 
tempest and the storm ; and amid the sublimities of the ocean he travels 
unknown paths in search of fame. The ephemeral waves obliterate tho traces 
of his victories with the passing moments; upon the land, time alone can efface 
his works. 

The organization of society as ono whole is yet too imperfoct to call for the 
use of one all-directing head and one central moving heart, and it will only be 
the ultimate, tho final great cit} T , that will fully unite in itself the functions 
analogous to those of tho human head and heart, in relation to tho whole family 
of man. 

The center of this great commercial power will also carry with it tho 
center of the moral and intellectual power. One hundred years, at our 
previous rate of increase, will give more than four duplications, and more than 
six hundred millions of people, to the present area of our countiy. But, allow- 
iug twenty-five years for a duplication, and four duplications, we would have six 
hundred millions at tho close of one hundred years. Of these, not less than 
four hundred millions will inhabit the interior plain and the region west of it ; 
and not over two hundred millions will inhabit the margin east of the Appa- 
lachian mountains. The productions of these four hundred millions, intended 
for exchange with each other, will meet at tho most convenient point central 
to the place of tho growth or manufacture of their products. Where, then, 
let us inquire again, is most likely to be the center of the most ample and 
host facilities for tho exchango, in tho future, of the commodities of that great 
people ? Whore will that point be ? Which of the four cities we havo under 
consideration is best suited for this great purpose ? Must it not be St. Louis, 
commanding, as she will, the greatest railway and river communication ? 
It cannot be a lake city, for neither of them can command, with so great 



ST. LOUIS, TUB FUTURE QREAT CITY. 



advantago, the great surplus products of the country. It cannot be Cincin- 
nati, for she is not so well situated in the center of the productive power 
of the continent. It cannot bo Now Orleans; higher freights upon the pro- 
ducts of the country will be against her. It cannot be New York nor San 
Francisco, for all our six fundamental facts stand against them, and uner- 
ringly point to the central plain of the continent, where the four hundred 
millions of people will prefor to transact business. 

Human power, as alroady stated, is moving westward from the old world, 
as well as from our own Atlantic seaboard. But a few facts are necessary to 
demonstrate the truth of this statement : First, in evidence that human 
power is moving westward from tho old world, wo have but to refer to the 
reports of the State Department at Washington upon our foreign commerce 
to learn that our imports aro greater than our exports, and our internal 
commerce far greater than our foreign commerce; and by reference to the 
various reports on emigration, we learn that thousands are coming from West- 
ern Europe, yearly, to our shores, while but few of our own people arc seeking 
homes on the other side of the Atlantic. Second, in evidence of the west- 
ward movement of human power from the Atlantic States, tho following 
statistical facts are given ; and although our tables show, in the most conclu- 
sive manner, that human power is moving westward, yet since they were 
made up, many thousands of new miles of railways have been added to the 
great system of tho Mississippi Valley, and at least three-fifths of tho number of 
miles of railways of the entire country are now in the Yalley of the Mississippi. 

Nor can these facts, in their magnitude and character, be considered of 
casual concern to the American citizen ; for they are the most important in 
our national progress. They aro the irrefutable evidences of the historic and 
sublime march of the American people in the course of the star of empire in 
its majestic career across the continent. 

The following Table will show the number of miles of railroad in operation in the 
United States for each year since 1830, also the ratio of such mileage to the 
area and the population of the several States. 



Year. 


Miles in op- 
eration. 


a"3 o 

BOB 

< 


Year. 


Miles in op- 
eration. 


a o £ 

'Z «> L° 

e ^"^ 

c 3 3 


Year. 


Miles in op- 
eration. 


a o o" 

"Z * §■ 

III 

< 


1831 

1832 

1833 

1834 

1885 

1836 

1837 

1838 

1839 

1840 

1S!1 

184° , 

1844 


23 

95 

229 

880 

633 

1,098 

1,273 

1,497 

1,913 

2,302 

2,818 

::..">:;."> 

4.026 

4,185 


72 
184 

151 

253 
265 
175 
224 
416 
389 
516 
717 
-I'.tl 
159 


1844 

1845 

1846 

1847 

1848 
'1849 
1850 .,,, 
1851 

1852 

1853 
1854 
1855 ,,,, 
1856 


4,377 

4,633 

4,930 

5,599 

5,996 

7,365 

9,021 

10,9X2 

12,908 

15,860 

16,720 

18,374 

22,017 


192 

256 

297 

669 

397 

1,369 

1,656 

1,961 

1,926 

2,462 

1,360 

1,654 

3,613 


1857 

1858 

1859 

1860 

1861 
1862 
1863 

1865 
1866 

1867 
1868 

1869 ,.,, 


24,408 
26,968 
28,789 
30,635 
81,266 
32,120 
33,170 
33,908 
85,085 
86,827 
89,276 
42,255 
47,254 


2,491 
2,460 
1,821 

1,846 
621 
864 

1,050 

738 
1,177 
1,742 

2,44a 

2,970 
4,999 











32 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



STATEMENT 

Showing the area, population, and railroad mileage in the several States, and 
their relation to each other, on or near January 1, 1870. 



PATES, ETC. 



Population. 



Total. 



To sq. 
mile. 



Cost. 



1 Milk of 14.11. 



To t-q. iTolnhab- 

mile. I 1 1 : 1 1 1 ■ s . 



Maine 

Now Hampshire 

Vermont 

Massachusetts 

Rhode Island 

Connecticut 

New York 

New Jersey 

■Pennsylvania 

Delaware 

Maryland and Dis- ) 

trict of Columbia. J 

West Virginia 

Ohio 

Michigan 

Indiana 

Illinois 

Wisconsin 

Minnesota 

Iowa 

Missouri 

Nebraska, Wyorn'g, 1 

and Utah / 

Kansas 

Colorado 

Virginia 

North Carolina 

South Carolina 

Georgia 

Florida 

Alabama 

Mississippi 

Louisiana 

Texas 

Kentucky 

Tennessee 

Arkansas 

California 

Nevada. 

Oregon 



31,776 
9,280 

10,212 
7,800 
1,306 
4,674 

47,000 
8,320 

46,000 
2,120 

11,184 

23,000 
39,964 
56,451 
33,809 
55,410 
53,924 
83,531 
55,045 
65,350 

300,000 

81,318 

40,904 
50,704 
29,385 
58,000 
59,268 
50,722 
47,156 
41,346 
237,504 
87,600 
45,600 
52,191 
188,981 
112.090 
95,274 



665,600 
340,000 
320,000 

1,350,000 
200,000 
525,000 

4,400,000 
900,000 

3,500,000 
125,000 

800,000 

400,000 
2,650,000 
1,200,000 
1,750,000 
2,567,532 
1,300,000 

600,000 
1,250,000 
1,600,000 

250,000 

600,000 

i,36o,666 

1,050,000 
700,000 

1,100,000 
150,000 
980,000 
800,000 
730,000 
750,000 

1,250,000 

1,050,000 

500,000 

600,000 

100,000 

80,000 



20.03 

36.64 

31.33 

173.08 

153.14 

112.32 

93.62 

108.17 

76.69 

58.96 

71.54 

17.39 
66.31 
19.45 
51.77 
44.21 
25.99 
7.19 
22.74 
24.50 

.83 

7.38 



31.78 
20.78 
23.82 
18.97 

2.53 
19.32 
16.96 
17.69 

3.16 
33.24 
23.03 

9.58 

3.17 
.89 
.84 



680 

702 

621 

1,480 

125 

692 

3,658 

1,011 

4,898 

210 

588 



3,448 
1,325 
2.853 
4,036 
1,512 
795 
2,095 
1,800 

1,058 

1,150 

293 

1,483 

1,130 

1,101 

1,652 

446 

1,081 

990 

375 

583 

852 

1,451 

128 

702 

60 

402 



S 24,694,200 

23,479,092 

25,043,408 

88,361,920 

5,092,125 

26,453,700 

184,476,598 

02,594,043 

254,877,226 

7,828,590 

34,398,599 

26,508,726 

137,020,072 

57,151,225 

102,143,103 

178,704,476 

57,974,616 

25,249,200 

82,557,665 

98,991,000 



46,621,000 

8,790,000 

62,812,825 

23,148,050 
5,123.691 
33,537,252 
9,705,852 
27,191,474 
29,021,850 
15,116,375 
21,013,652 



52,840,944 
"l6,'807,*682 



36.315 
33,446 
41,864 
59,704 
40.737 
38,225 
50,431 
61,913 
52,037 
37,279 

58,501 

68,498 
39,739 
43,133 
35,802 
42,791 
38,343 
31,760 
39,407 
54,995 



40,540 

30,000 
35.275 
20,485 
25,491 
20,301 
21,762 
25,154 
29,815 
40,577 
36,014 
35,776 
25,9*7 
43,662 
75,272 

25!641 



46.71 
13.22 

n ;'.42 

5.27 

10.45 

6.75 

12.89 
8.22 
9.39 

10.10 

19.02 

59.43 
11.69 

42.60 
11.86 

13.17 

35.66 

105.09 

«tf0.2S 

38.17 

283.55 

87.34 



27.59 

44.87 
26.71 

35.11 

132.69 

46.92 

47.66 

110.26 

407.39 

44.01 

31.42 

407.74 

269.20 

1587.90 



977.9 
484.3 
514.4 
912.2 

1,600.0 
758.6 

1,202.4 
890.2 
714.5 
595.6 

1,360.5 

1,033.6 

768.5 
905. 7 
613.8 
607.0 
925.8 
754.7 
596. H 
934.6 

236.3 

644.4 

876.6 
829 . 2 

671.9 

336.8 

906.fi 

808.1 

1,946.6 

1,286.4 

1,467.1 

723.6 

8 906.2 

854.7 

1,333.3 

248.7 



47,853 



Tho above table, with some slight changes, is taken from Mr. Poor's Rail. 
road Manual for 1870-71. In some particulars it is incorrect. It falls short in 
giving the present population of the country. Our present census will show 
us to have more than 42,000,000 inhabitants. It is estimated that our present 
railway system, as exhibited by the above table, cost $2,000,000,000, which is 
tho annual value of the commerce of our Western rivers. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTU11E GREAT CITY. 




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ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 35 

But granting that human power is moving westward, wo must assume that 
somewhere in time it will be arrested, and culminate in the highest enfoldment 
of civil, social, and material life. Then, in its westward movement, will it be 
arrested in North America, or will it cross the Pacific to the inferior races of 
Asia, or will it reach and make a lodgment on the Pacific slope ? Wo cannot so 
reason or apprehend. The vast arid and mountainous regions of the wostern 
half of the continent, and the unequaled extent of fertile lands on the eastern 
half of the continent, and adjacent to and on cither side of the great river, 
fixes its location inevitably in the central plain of the continent; and in the 
center of its productive powor, and with the development and complete 
organization of human power in the center of the productive power of the 
continent, will most certainly grow up the great city of the future — the great 
material, social, civil, and moral heart of the human race. The raw materials 
necessary to the artisan and the manufacturer, in the production of whatever 
ministers to comfort and elegance, are here. The bulkiness of food and raw 
materials makes it the interest of the artisan and the manufacturer to locate 
himself near the place of their production. It is this interest, constantly 
operating, which peoples our Western towns and cities with emigrants from 
the Eastern States and Europe. When food and raw materials for manufacture 
are no longer cheapor in the great valley than in the States of the Atlantic 
and the nations of Western Europe, then, and not till then, will it cease to be 
the interest of artisans and manufacturers to prefer a location in Wostern 
towns and cities. This time will probably be about the period when the Mis- 
sissippi shall flow toward its head. 

The chief points for the exchange of the varied productions of industry in 
our Western valley will necessarily give employment to a great population. 
Indeed, the locations of our future great cities have been made with reference 
to their commercial capabilities. Commerce has laid the foundation on which 
manufactures have been, to a great extent, instrumental in rearing the super- 
structure. Together, these departments of labor are destined to build up in 
our fertile valley the greatest cities of the world. 

Tt is something to us Americans that this great city, the great all-directing 
heart of the race, is to grow up in our land. Even to us of this generation a 
realization of the final fact is a proud thought to enjoy, in the present and 
coming conflicts of this progressive life. As we have already seen, St. Louis is 
substantially central to the Mississippi Valley, and no city on the continont can 
lay any just claim to become the future great city, and occupy a central position 
to so many valuable resources as she does. She is not only substantially in the 
center of the Mississippi Valley, but, allowing her to be nine hundred miles 
from New York City, she occupies the center of an area of 2,51-1,688 square 
miles, and within a circumference the outer line of which touchos Chicago. 
Sho occupies the center of an area of country which, in fertility of soil, coal, 
iron, timber, stone, water, domestic navigation, and railways, cannot be equaled 
on the globe. 

Cities, like individuals, have a law of growth that may be said to bo consti- 
tutional and inherent, but the measure of that law of growth does not seorn to 



36 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

be sufficiently understood to furnish a basis for calculating their growth to any 
considerable time in the future. In the development of a nation and country, 
new agencies are continually coming into the account of growth and work, 
either favorable or unfavorable. The growth of cities is somewhat analogous 
to the pursuits of business men : some move rapidly forward in the accumu- 
lation of wealth, to the end of life; others only for a time are able to keep 
even with the world. So, too, in the growth of cities ; and thus it is difficult to 
calculate with exactness their future growth. Cities grow with greater rapid- 
ity than nations and States, and much sooner double their population ; and, 
with the constantly increasing tendency of the people to live in cities, we can 
look with greater certainty to the early triumph of our inland cities over those 
of the seaboard; for, so surely as the population of the Valley States doubles 
that of the seaboard States, so surely will their cities be greater. The city of 
London, now the groatest in the world, having more than three million people, 
has only doubled its population every thirty years, while New York has doubled 
every fifteen years. According to Mr. J. W. Scott, London grows at an aver- 
ago annual rate, on a long time, of two per cent.; New York, at five ; Chicago, 
at twelve and ono-half; Toledo, twolvo ; Milwaukee, Detroit, Clevolaad, Cin- 
cinnati, Buffalo, and St. Louis, at the rate of eight per cent. Mr. Scott gives 
these calculations as approximately true for long periods of time. They may 
be essentially true in the past, but cannot be relied on for the future ; for, as I 
have already said, the growth of a city is as uncertain as a man's chance is in 
business — he may pass directly on to fortune, or may be kept back by the 
fluctuations of the markets, or greater hindrances interposed by wars. Touch- 
ing the subject of climate, I shall not deem it. of sufficient bearing upon this 
subject to enter into a nice discussion of the influence of heat and cold upon 
man in civilized life, in the north temperate zone of tho North American 
continent. All experience teaches that there is not sufficient variation of the 
climate throughout the middle belt of our country to adversely affect the 
highest and greatest purposes of American industry and American civiliza- 
tion. The same rewards and the same destiny await all. The densest popula- 
tion of which wo havo any record is now, and has been for centuries, on the 
thirtieth degree of north latitude; and if such can bo in China, why may it 
not bo in America ? 

Again, returning to our first fundamental fact, that human power is moving 
westward from tho city of London, wo must calculate that that great city will 
be succeeded by a rival, one which will grow up in the new world, and that that 
now city will result in tho final organization of human society in one complete 
whole, and the perfect development and systemization of the commerce of the 
world ; wil\ grow to such magnificent proportions, and be so perfectly organ- 
ized and controlled in its municipal governmental character, as to constitute 
tho most porfoct and greatest city of the world — the all-directing head and 
heart of the great family of man. The now world is to be its home, and nature 
and civilization will fix its residence in the central plain of the continent, and 
in the centor of tho productive power of this great valley, and upon tho Missis- 
sippi river, and whore the city of St. Loui3 now stands. All arguments point 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 37 

to this one great fact of the future, and, with its perfect realization, will bo 
attained the highest possibility in the material triumph of mankind. 

Let ns comprehend the inevitable causes which God and civilization havo sot 
to work to produce, in timo, this final great city of tho world in our own fair 
land ; and, with prophetic conception, realizing its final coming, let us hail it as 
the master-work of all art and tho homo of consummated wisdom, tho inher- 
itance of organic liberty, and controlled by an all-pervading social order that 
will insure a competency to every mombor of tho in-gathered family. The 
immense accommodation of railroads will, by rapid, cheap, and easy communi- 
cation, draw to great centers from great distances around, and thus tho great 
cities of the world will continue to grow until they reaoh a magnitudo hithorto 
unknown; and, abovo them all, will St. Louis reap tho rich rewards of modern 
discoveries and inventions, especially as regards steam and all its vast and 
varied influence. 

Henceforth St. Louis must bo viewed in tho light of her future, her mighti- 
ness in the empire of the world, her sway in the rule of States and nations. 
Her destiny is fixed. Liko a new-born empire, sho is moving forward to 
conscious greatness, and will soon bo tho world's magnet of attraction. In 
her bosom all tho extremes of tho country are represented, and to her growth 
all parts of the country contribute. Mighty as are tho possibilities of hor 
people, still mightier are the hopes inspired. Tho city that she now is is onlv 
the germ of the city of the future that she will bo, with her ten million souU 
occupying the vast area of her dominion. Her strength will be that of a 
nation, and, as sho grows toward maturity, hor institutions of learning and 
philosophy will correspondingly advance. If wo but look forward, in imagi- 
nation, to her consummated greatness, how grand is the conception ! We can 
realize that hero will bo reared great halls and edifices for art and learning ; 
here will congregate tho great men and women of future ages; here will be 
represented, in the future, some Solon and Hamilton, giving laws for the 
higher and better government of the people; hero will bo represented some 
future great teachers of religion, teaching the ideal and spiritual unfolding of the 
race, and its allegiance to tho angel world ; horo will livo some future Plutarch, 
weighing tho great men of his age; hero some futuro "Mozart will thrill the 
strings of a more perfect lyre, and improvise grandest melodies" for the congre- 
gated people; hero some future "Rembrandt, through his own ideal imagina- 
tion, will picture for himself more perfect panoramic scones of nature's lovely 
landscapes." Ma}- wo not justly rejoice in the anticipation of tho future great- 
ness of tho civil, social, industrial, intellectual, and moral elements which aro 
destined to form a part of tho futuro great city ? And may we not realize that 
tho millions who aro yet to bo its inhabitants will bo a wiser and bettor people 
than those of this generation, and who, in moro porfect life, will walk those 
streets, in tho city of tho future, with softer tread, and sing music with swceler 
tones, be urged on by aspirations of higher aims, rejoice with fuller hearts, and 
adorn in beauty, with more tendor hands, tho final groat city of tho world ? 



8b 8T. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



THE RAILWAY SYSTEM OF ST. LOUIS. 



To determine the importance of a State or city, its essential condition and 
advantages must be defined and understood, both in their immediate and 
approximate relations ; and to ascertain their future greatness and controlling 
influence, their local and general relations must be considered in connection 
with tho natural advantages which they possess for the civil and industrial 
pursuits of man, and their natural and artificial facilities for the exchange of 
the products of different lands and climates, and the intercommunication of 
one people with another. By theso means the commercial and civil value of 
all States and cities can easily be determined, and their general values 
estimated in the march of civilization and progress. It is by these means 
that we propose to determine the commercial importance of St. Louis, and the 
place she will fill, and tho influence she will exercise in the present continental 
strife for commercial supremacy. 

The most important consideration of tho subject is her system of railroads 
and navigable rivers, a full description of which we submit, in so far as the 
facts relate to the practicable purposes of commerce. 

The Mississippi river is tho continental stream of North America. It forms 
a line of unbroken navigation from ISew Orleans to Fort Snelling, a distance of 
2,131 miles. No stream has ever served so valuable purposes to commerce and 
civilization, and no city upon its banks has ever or can ever share bo 
largely in the commerce that floats upon its waters as St. Louis. In connection 
with its tributaries it affords more than ten thousand miles of inland navi 
gation, and moro than three-fourths of which bear directly upon the interests 
of St. Louis. Moro than ten thousand steamboats, together with a largo 
number of barges, lighters, and similar crafts, used as auxiliaries in the carry- 
ing trade, are actively engaged in tho commerce of theso waters ; the far 
greater part of which does now and will continue to bear upon the interests of 
St. Louis. 

Besides tho already navigable streams there are many smaller tributaries 
which will, when the country is older and more wealthy, be converted into 
canals, and thus furnish an extended western slack-water navigation. 

Turning from the rivers, we now proceed to sot forth her great system of 



ST. LOUIS, TIIE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 39 

railroads, as they are now completed j also thoso which arc being built, and the 
most important of such linos as have been agitated. 

1. The St. Louis and Cairo R. It. Projected. 

2. Belleville and Southern R. R. 

3. St. Louis and Evansvillo E. R. Building. 

4. St. Louis and Southeastern Illinois R. R. Building. 

5. New Albany and St. Louis It. R. Building. 

6. The Ohio and Mississippi R. R. 

7. The St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute R. R. 

8. The Indianapolis and St. Louis R. R. 

9. Decatur and East St. Louis R. R. 

10. Chicago, Alton and St. Louis R. R. This road will soon have a double 

steel track between Chicago and St. Louis. 

11. St. Louis, Jacksonville and Bloomington R. It. 

12. Bockford, Bock Island and St. Louis R. R. 
Pooria, Pekin and Jacksonville R. R. ; a connection. 

13. Qumcy and St. Louis It. R. Prospective. 

Crossing the Mississippi river, north of St. Louis, the first road wo moot is 

14. The St. Louis and Keokuk R. R. Building. 
)!,. The North Missouri R. R. North Branch. 
1G. The North Missouri R. It. West Branch. 

17. The North Missouri and St. Joseph R. R., via Hannibal and St. Jo. R. R. 

18. St. Louis, Chillicothe and Omaha R. R. Building. 

19. Missouri Pacific R. R. 

Sedalia and Lexington Branch of Mo. Pacific. 
Sedalia and Ft. Scott Branch of Mo. Pacific. 

20. St. Louis and Ft. Scott Air Line R. R. Prospective. 
21 

no 



23 
24 



Southwest Pacific R. R. 

Iron Mountain R. R. to Galveston and Mexico. 

St. Louis and Springfield, Illinois. Projected. 

Illinois Central R. It. Running through trains botween Chicago and St. 

Louis and St. Louis and Dubuque, using the Vandalia line to come into 

St. Louis. 



Thus wo havo twenty-four distinct trunk roads converging at St. Louis, 
nearly every one of which is built, or under way of construction, and not ono 
will be abandoned. No other city on the continent or in tho world has so 
many, nor is it likely that any rival place will ever bo favorod with so great a 
number. I havo neglected to place on tho list several local and connecting 
roads, which properly belong to tho St. Louis system and are valuable feeders 
to othor lines, but for their not being essentially trunk lines, wore omitted. 
My object has been more especially to show that St. Louis stands in tho center 
of a great sj'stem of railways and navigable rivers, which radiato from hor as 
a focal point to almost evory extremity of tho countiy, touching oceans, lakes, 
and seas, and uniting the civil, social, and commercial interests of a conti- 
nental people, as well as creating an easy exchango for tho fish, fruits, and 
other products of antagonistic climates. 



40 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

The following statement of distances will show how St. Louis stands in 
relation to some of the principal cities of the country, as well as to our 
seaboard markets. 

Places. Distance. Places. Distance. 

From St. Louis to — Miles. From St. Louis to — Mile*. 

Boston, via rail 1200 New Orleans, via rail 722 

New York 1042 Galveston 787 

Philadelphia 974 San Francisco 2t%* 

Baltimore 029 Denver City 912 

Washington City 951 Omaha 43$ 

Richmond 1096 Leavenworth 291 

Norfolk 1170 Chicago 280 

Charleston 970 Cincinnati 340 

Savannah 9G0 Louisville 802 

Mobile. 66G Indianapolis 238 

Kansas City 272 Cairo 153 

Buffalo 704 Detroit 564 

Milwaukee 365 Pittsburgh Oil 

In submitting this statement of the railway system of St. Louis, its mighty 
frame-work and net-work which ramifies the entire Valley of the Mississippi, 
and extends its Briarean arms to each ocean, the gulf and the lakes, and holds 
in its grasp the empire of the continent, wo also submit that in the most 
superlative degree does St. Louis occupj' - tho center of the greatest productive 
power, as well as the greatest center of river navigation afforded on tho 
globo ; and thus uniting the greatest means with the greatest facilities that tho 
world affords, who, with a just comprehension of the facts, does not see the 
truth of tho argument in favor of the future great city so conclusively as to 
bo convinced of its correctness, generations in advance of tho actual existence 
of tho city itself? But this vast contribution of productive power, this system 
of river navigation, as well as tho ever-expanding railway system, has a 
primary meaning. They all mean and foreshadow generations of civil, indus- 
trial, and commercial progress, and these lead to a consideration of a new 

RAILWAY TOLICY FOR ST. LOUIS, 

as well as for tho entire West, and this new policy means nothing moro nor 
less than a Western railway policy, and with its establishment will also be 
organized a political aud commercial policy for tho West. It is no longer the 
fact that the great States of the Mississippi Valley are commercial or political 
dependencies to the cities of the Atlantic seaboard. It is truo they have 
political and commercial interest with thoso States and cities, and it is to be 
hoped ever will have. But the time is now and will continuo henceforth, long 
as the waters run, that tho commercial and political importance of the Valley 
States arc greater than those of cither seaboard, and therefore they must be 
tho dictators of such political and commercial policies as their wisdom and 
welfare may demand. Tho political power and commorco of tho American 
people have spanned tho continent, and from tho Pacific shore civilization 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 11 

re-acts to the center, where, like a great maelstrom, sweeping from the circum- 
ference to the center, will be the greatest power and activity of our people in 
their future growth and struggle for gain. 

It therefore becomes the people of St. Louis, as well as of the West, to 
establish a railway policy that will best subserve their commercial interest — a 
policy that will create an exchange of Western products North and South, 
instead of allowing them to be carried away in less valuable channels, East 
and West. Nature has already dictated that the commerce of this great valley 
must follow the flow of the waters to the gulf, and there seek the markets of 
the world ; and those of the West who do not already comprehend this truth 
will soon learn it through the impoverished railway policy that is rapidly 
binding them to the East, as the Philistines bound Samson. 

St. Louis must make a bold stand for a railway policy that will cause the 
exchange of the products of the Valley States North and South — exchange 
them between the lakes and the gulf — between climates, and not along parallel 
lines of longitude. St. Louis wants the trade of the tropics and the trade of the 
North. She must have a railway policy that will establish this trade, and make 
her the point of exchange between the two climates. 

By the new railway line now projected, via Iron Mountain, Fulton and 
Galveston Eailroad, which is under way of construction, the gulf can be 
reached at a distance of 787 miles. When this road is completed it will be of 
vastly more value to St. Louis than any other road that reaches her, and its 
completion will open the way for that policy for North and South exchange 
which must be established in the interest of the trade of the Valley States. 

In the interest of the especial climatic trade and postal service of the people 
between the lakes and the gulf, it is highly probable that a project will, in the 
course of ten years, be set on foot to construct a pneumatic tube from Chicago, 
via St. Louis, to New Orleans. The postal patronage, together with the fish 
and fruit trade, would well nigh, if not wholly, repay for its construction. 



42 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



POPULATION CONSIDERED. 



The material growth of St. Louis, from its foundation by Pierre Laclede 
Liguest, on the 15th day of February, 1764, will ever furnish a historical 
lesson of varied interest to those who now and henceforth enroll themselves 
among its inhabitants. 

"In 1790 a St. Louis merchant was a man who, in the corner of his cabin, had 
a large chest which contained a few pounds of powder and shot, a few 
knives and hatchets, a little red paint, two or three rifles, some hunting shirts 
of buckskin, a few tin cups and iron pots, and perhaps a little tea, coffee, 
sugar and spice. There was no post-office, no ferry over the river, no news- 
paper." From its foundation to the date of the Louisiana purchase, in 1804, 
but little change was made in the character of its social society and industrial 
interests. The ruder and rougher forms of life were everywhere impressed 
upon the society of her people, and marked the growth of an infant city 
destined to be the future capital of the United States and the great city of the 
world. The Louisiana purchase at once fixed not only the destiny of the 
nation, but also of St. Louis. A change in the title of the land wrought a 
change in her material growth and prosperity. A newspaper was established 
in 1808; in 1809 fire companies were organized; in 1810 there were road- 
masters, who had power to compel the requisite labor on the highways ; in 
1811 two schools were established, one English, the other French ; in the same 
year a market-house was built, and prosperity gradually awakened new life in 
the place, and pointed to a future full of hope. 

A record of the population of St. Louis began to date in the year 1764, a 
little more than one hundred yoars ago, and the succeeding increase at different 
periods is shown by the following statement : 

Vears. Population. Fears. Population. 

1764 120 1333 6,307 

1780 687 1835 8,316 

1785 897 1837 12,040 

1788 1,197 1840 10,469 

1799 925 1844 84,140 

1811 ~ 1,400 1850 74,439 

1820 4,928 1852 94,000 

1828 - 5,000 1856 125,200 

1830 6,852 1860 160.778 

1870 312,960 

Dr. Scott, in fixing the annual average growth of cities, estimated that of 
St. Louis, previous to 1860, to be at an annual average rate of 8 per cent. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 43 

But by the rapid change which has so recently swept over the country — abolishing 
slavery and equalizing labor alike in all sections of the country, and founding 
our prosperity alone upon the advantages which God has fixed throughout the 
land — St. Louis, in spite of the terrible ravages of four years of devastating 
war, has grown into the ascendency, during the last ten years, at an annual 
average rate of a little more than nine per cent. But, if we allow a discount 
of two per cent, for decimations during the four years of war, we must, to attain 
to the present population of the city, have well nigh increased annually at the 
rate of twelve per cent, since the war. This would almost equal the increase 
of Chicago in the days of her precocious growth. In fact, St. Louis has to-day, 
notwithstanding the vigilance of the United States Marshal in taking the 
census, not less than 315,000 citizens within her corporate limits; and it 
requires but a slight analysis in the discussion to establish the fact that St. Louis 
is a much larger city than Chicago. Aside from the facts which the United 
States census has established for both cities, we have only to refer to the 
extent of area within the corporate limits of each of the cities to establish 
beyond a question of doubt, the superiority of St. Louis over Chicago. The 
facts are these : 

Incorporate limits. Area of square miles. Pop. in 1870. 

St. Louis 19 9-10 312,960 

Chicago 34£ - 297,718 

These figures show Chicago to exceed St. Louis more than fourteen and one- 
half square miles in the area of her corporate limits — nearly double — and yet 
fall short in population about 15,000; and with an extension of the city of 
St. Louis so as to equal Chicago, St. Louis would contain at least 325,000, and 
25,000 more than Chicago. Be it remembered that Carondelet, containing 
about five square miles, is included in the nineteen and nine-tenths square 
miles comprising the present city limits of St. Louis — the old city limits 
including only a fraction more than fourteen square miles. But there is still 
another view in the argument. St. Louis is a much older city than Chicago, and, 
as a consequence of her growth and wealth, far more of her business men, with 
their families, live in suburban places, as the facts will demonstrate. Kirkwood, 
of about 3,000 inhabitants, is made up wholly of citizens who in some way do 
business in St. Louis. Webster is the same way. Many live down the Iron 
Mountain railroad, at St. Charles, at Alton, at Lebanon, at Belleville, and East 
St. Louis — thus establishing, beyond any question of doubt, St. Louis to be 
the third city on the American continent, and the imperial city of the great 
States of the Mississippi Valley ; and if Chicago would be a modern Carthage 
in industry and art, St. Louis will be a modern Babylon in commerce, skill 
and greatness, vieing for the rich trophies of the world. 

In tho discussion of this part of the subject, it must be borne in mind that, 
in the past, St. Louis, in establishing her increase at eight per cent, per annum, 
had many adverse interests to contend against, which impeded her growth and 
retarded her progress. She is now for the first time entering upon a new 
career of growth and prosperity. She is untrammoled. Advantages of ovcry 
kind surround her with prodigal profuseness. Henceforth her future advance 



44 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

ment cannot be gauged or measured by tbe past, and instead of an annual growth 
of eight per cent., she will move forward at the rate of at least ten per cent, 
for the next decade. This we assume with the full assurance of being supported 
by the facts of the future, at least for twenty years to come. But, as it is well 
known that cities have a rapid or slower growth in the long run, varying 
according to the eras or transitions through which nationa must inevitably 
pass, thereby rendering it impossible to fix a uniform standard of growth, we 
assume the following figures to be as near the range of a reasonable possibility, 
or at least for a few succeeding decades, as the best judgment could dictate in 
advance of the facts which time and other generations will demonstrate. 

Starting with the present population, as given by the United States census, 
we submit the following figures as showing the probable prospective growth of 
St. Louis : 

Population of St. Louis in 1870, per United States census , 312,903 

Population increased at the rate of 10 per cent per annum to 1880 - 811,742 

" " " 9 " " 1890 1,917,571 

" " " 6 " " 1900.... 3,464,079 

" " " 4 " " 1910 5,083,297 

" " " 3 " " 1920 .. 6,831,502 

" " " 3 " " 1930 9,180.967 

" " « 2 " ■ 1940 11,192,033 

" " " 2 " " 1950 13,643,757 

" " u 1 « " 1960 15,071,194 

" " " 1 " " 1970 16,647,941 

Notwithstanding the apparent correctness of the percentage of growth 
given above, it is not probable that either St. Louis or any other city of this 
earth will ever grow to such an enormous size as to contain at any time a 
population so numerous. We therefore submit the figures, and leave them 
for others to analyze and criticise. We, however, with confidence predict that 
St. Louis, in 1880, will not contain less than 800,000 inhabitants, and from 
100,000 to 200,000 more than Chicago. Thus fixing her at that time the 
second city on the continent, and, in 1890, the first ; and in less than one 
hundred years, the solution of our problem — the great city of the world. 
There are those, no doubt, who will regard the prediction for 1880 as reaching 
beyond the bounds of possibility; but not so. Let those object who are over- 
cautious and in ignorance of the under-life developments of our continental 
country, or envious of the prosperity of a rival city. There is no monopoly in 
progress, none in industry, none in intellect; they are gifts alike to all who, 
under the rule of God, toil in righteousness. Civilization in the nineteenth 
century is not walled in. It is the free heritage of the great family of man, 
continental, national and individual. Nations and States are born under its 
peaceful supervision as now heralds of man's rising and progressive life ; and 
great cities, like stars that begem the skies, will adorn our republic under its 
higher administration, and be as fine jewels set in the crown of the imperial 
nation of the earth. 

In considering the probabilities of the rapid growth of St. Louis in the 
future, it is well to consider how strongly the rapid growth of the great Valley 
States which surround her on every side, bear upon the subject. During the 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 45 

decade intervening between the years 1S50 and 1860, the growth of Illinois was 
more than 100 percent. — more than doubling her entire population in ten years. 
The increase of Indiana was more than thirty-six per cent. Iowa and Kansas 
have increased with greater rapidity, and the census of the present year will 
show Missouri to have more than doubled her population since the census of 
1860. Arkansas and other new regions will soon be enrolled as prosperous 
members with their sisters of the great Valley States, and the rapid increase 
in the population of kindred States cannot fail to be a favorable index to the 
growth of St. Louis. Taking it as a primary truth that the growth of a city, 
or at least an inland city, depends much upon the growth of the surrounding 
country, we may be sure that St. Louis is highly favored in this way. 

"We may safely assume that for the next thousand years, or nearly so, the 
cities of the world will grow to be much larger than they have in the past, 
and that St. Louis will reach a population ranging from 5,000,000 to 10,000,000, 
and with a probability of going beyond these figures within the next one 
hundred and fifty years. In less than fifty years London will cease to grow, 
and quite likely Paris. Civilization in the Old World will soon begin to re-cast 
itself in the farther east, and Eome will yet, under a new government and 
more advanced civilization, become the imperial citj r of the trans- Atlantic 
world. In less than one hundred years New York will cease to grow, and, 
adjusted to a new order of the world's commerce and civilization, the struggle 
for the future great city of the world will be between competitors many of 
which are not now in the race. In less than one hundred years St. Louis will 
move forward in the advance in the majestic march of the cities of the world 
to her predestined goal of victor in the great race. 

What new agencies the arts and sciences may yet call into existence that 
will have an important bearing upon the distribution or concentration of the 
people, is difficult to tell. We may reasonably expect that in less than fifty 
years both the storms and the rains will be controlled by science, and the 
people can call the winds and the rain at their pleasure ; that transportation 
by means of pneumatic tubes, as well as aerial navigation, will be introduced 
into practical use, which, together with cheaper freights and more rapid travel 
on railroads, will exert a powerful influence upon the future interests and 
civilization of tho world's people. How far such contributions by science and 
art will tend to more readily satisfying the business interests and wants of the 
people, so as to tend to a dispersion rather than a concentration, must be left 
for actual experience to demonstrate. We may assume, however, that neither 
science nor art can very soon contribute anything that will prevent capital 
and monopoly from concentrating people as well as public interests. 

The marvelous growth of cities is well established by the facts of the follow- 
ing table, taken from the New York Tribune : 

" Thirty-eight years ago, there were thirteen European cities having larger 
populations than New York ; now there are only three, and these have been 
eapitals for centuries. The table which follows gives the population of the 
fifteen largest European cities in 1832 and 1869, and their respective rate of 
increase. In comparing New York we quote the censuses of 1830 and 1870 :" 



46 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

Increaat 
IS 32. 1969. per cent. 

London 1,624,000 3,214,000 98 

Constantinople 1,000,000 1,500,000 60 

Paris 890,000 1,950,000 118 

New York ~ 197,092 921,313 368 

St Petersburg 480,000 667,000 37 

Naples 358,000 600,000 67 

Vienna 310,000 640.000 107 

Dublin „ 300,000 362,000 21 

Moscow 280,000 * 420,000 50 

Berlin „ 250,000 800,000 220 

Lisbon .. 240,000 340,000 44 

Manchester 238,000 350,000 49 

Amsterdam 230,000 250,000 12 

Glasgow 202,000 401,000 99 

Liverpool 190,000 520,000 174 

Madrid « 190,000 390,000 106 

It is evident from the above figures that modern civilization, on account of 
its greater protection of human life, enables a more rapid growth to the cities 
of our own time than was experienced by the cities of the ancients. In fact, 
monopoly has always been a rule of the human race ; and whatever improve- 
ment or art that contributed to man's welfare, also contributed to his monopo- 
lizing tendencies, and therefore to the more rapid and numerous building up of 
great cities. It remains for time alone to change this rule of monopoly, if it 
is to be changed at all, and man dispersed to rural life. As for me, give me 
the great city, where man's master-works are reared — where great men and 
women attract and are attracted. 

"Let poets sing of rural felicity, of flowing brooks and singing birds, and so 
forth ; but give us the surging of the city's life, the unspeakable rapture of 
being surrounded by the heart-beats of humanity. We love mankind more 
than birds or brooks. The prattle of the school-yard is sweeter to us than a 
forest full of orioles, and the refined face of woman a fairer sight to look upon 
than all the rocks that ever scowled from mountain fastnesses. The solitude 
of being among woods, and looking forever on the stars and listening to 
brooks and birds, would drive one mad; but the very thought of being 
surrounded by one's kind, and listening to the melody flowing up from the 
great heart of the city, makes our garret a palace." 

The great cities of the world will continue to grow in the future for five 
hundred or a thousand years, until civilization and republicanism shall have 
exhausted themselves in a final culmination of individualism, or stealing, by 
the human race, and the inauguration of a new and truer government and 
society — a society and government of unity and universalit}", which, in the 
very nature of their organizations, will tend to diffusion, and be adverse to 
monopoly, and consequently adverse to the building of great cities. 

But to return, St. Louis in her future growth will be supported largely by 
her suburban towns, which will stand as jewels in the crown of the great city, 
as they are to be seen in embryo on the map representing the area within 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



47 



which the destined city now stands. On the east side of the river, and lying 
within a circle of sixty miles diameter, and with St. Louis for its center, are 
the following towns, with their present population : 



Towns. Population. 

East St. Louis. <.. ~ 5,648 

Venice <— 2,000 

Alton 10,000 

Belleville 10,000 

Edwardsville 3,000 

Monticello .. 1,000 

Marinelown 800 

Lebanon 3,000 

Troy 1,500 

Collinsvillo 1,500 

Greenwood M 600 

Caseyville 260 

O'Fallon 675 



Towns. Population. 

Shiloh 250 

Mascoutah m ••••• 2,800 

Freeburg 1,000 

Waterloo 2,000 

Columbia - 1,500 

St. Jacobs ~ 500 

Mitchell 103 

Centreville 2,200 

Prairie du Pont 50 

Cahokia - 1,500 

Pittsburg - 500 

Henrysville 50 

Smithton 850 



Total suburban population on east side of the river 52,776 

The suburban towns, and their population on the west side of the river, and 
within the circle, are as follows : 



Towns. Population. 

St. Charles 7,000 

Rock Springs 1,000 

Elleardville 3,000 

Lowell 1,000 

Kirkwood » 2,500 

"Webster 2,000 

Bridgton 700 

Manchester 500 

Baden 1,500 



Toions. Population. 

Baldwin 300 

Eureka 300 

Allenton 200 



Florissant..., 
Georgetown. 

Linton , 

Glencoe 

Black Jack.. 



1,500 

60 

75 

50 

400 



Total population 22,485 



Add these numbers, with those who live in the country, to our city population, 
and we have well nigh 500,000 people residing upon the area of country 
represented by the map ; and it will not require many years to pass away 
before 500,000 people will do business within the corporate limits of St. Louis, 
and yet reside, with their families, at a distance from the city. Trains will 
soon run upon our railroads at the rate of sixty miles an hour, and at very 
greatly reduced rates. This will afford advantages and opportunity for 
cheaper living in the country, as well as better living to many. And wo may 
safely assume that when St. Louis reaches a population of 5,000,000 to 
10,000,000, that, in unity with the growth of her suburban tows, she will 
occupy, in many directions, the country reaching to the extremity of the map ; 
and in the future, it will not be uncommon to find streets of the finest char- 
acter fifteen and twenty miles long, well paved and lighted with gas, streets 
more splendid than those once so beautiful and wonderful in Cordova. Then, 



£g ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

looking through the future to the wonderful growth which will be spread out 
in and around this great city, may we not anxiously inquire with the poet — 

u Who'll throng these streets, in eager haste, 

One hundred years from now ? 
****** 
" "Who will he those patriots brave, 

To guard our flag o'er land and wave, 

One hundred years from now?" 



THE GEOGRAPHICAL, GEOLOGICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL SITUATION OF THE CITY 

OP ST. LOUIS. 

The city of St. Louis is situated, geographically, very nearly in the center of 
the great Yalley of the Mississippi, or basin of the continent, on the west 
bank of the Mississippi river, and about half way between St. Paul and New 
Orleans, and Pittsburg and Denver City. 

The topography of St. Louis county consists of a system of ridges branching 
from a water-shed between the Missouri, Meramec and Mississippi rivers. This 
water-shed has a general altitude of two hundred feet above the Mississippi 
river, and has numerous small ridges or arms branching from it and winding 
in serpentine courses, and maintaining this general altitude along their summits, 
and terminating in bluffs or low escarpments and declining grounds towards 
the Meramec, Missouri, and Mississippi rivers. 

The city is built geographically on the ends or termination of this ridge 
system, and extends some twelve miles up and down the river, the ground 
rising gently from the river back for one mile to Seventeenth street, which 
follows in part the apex of the first ridge, and is one hundred and fifty feet 
above the river. The ground then gently declines, and rises in a second ridge 
at Twenty-fifth street, or Jefferson avenue, and parts of Grand avenue, and 
again slopes and rises in a ridge at Cote Brilliante, or Wilson's Hill, four 
miles west of the river. This point is some two hundred feet above the river, 
and overlooks the city. 

Looking at the topography of the site which St. Louis now occupies, the 
observer will bo most intensely impressed with the thought that nature in her 
immutable decrees had ordained, from the beginning, that here she laid the 
foundation for a great city — the future imperial city of the world. Nor are the 
character and superiority of the land circumscribed by the present city limits — 
not at all. The same beauty in the general formation and adaptability of the 
ground for building purposes, and the consequent expansion of the city, 
extends back in every way from the river for an indefinite distance, and with 
still greater advantages for building purposes as we advance into the country. 

The geological formation of St. Louis county is limestone, shales, and sand- 
stones of the coal measures, these being covered with alluvial clays from ten 
to twenty feet deep, making the contour of the ridges wavy and dividing the 



BT. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 49 

country into rich rolling prairie, from one to two hundred feet above the rivers, 
and bordered with belts and groves of black and white oak woods; and the 
country shows many substantial brick mansions, highly-cultivated farms, vine- 
yards, orchards, meadows, slopes — forming the most natural grounds for build- 
ing purposes found in any part of our country. Viewing this rolling prairie, 
with all its wealth of alluvial soil, its contour of ridge and valley, its springs 
and meandering streams, it seems as if the laws of nature had here amassed 
their wealth, and centralized the material resources to supply the wants of a 
dense and wealthy population ; and, not being content with this wealth of soil 
and art on the surface, had underlaid a large part of this area with coal veins, 
St. Louis county containing an undeveloped coal basin of over 10,000 acres. 

While New York is limited to a barren, rocky island, Philadelphia to a low 
ridge between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, Washington City to a flat, 
sterile, uninteresting region, Chicago to land from five to fifteen feet above 
Lake Michigan, and swampy prairie beyond, Cincinnati to a small circuit 
surrounded by steep, rocky hills, St. Louis has the most natural con- 
tour of surface for elevation of residence streets — deep clay over the lime- 
stone for brick, cellars, sewerage, and foundations, quarries of building rock 
in all parts of the city, wells of pure water in the deep clays in many parts of 
the city, natural sewerage and dome-shaped hills for waterworks, and essen- 
tially combining all the material resources for a great city. London and Paris 
are built upon tertiary basins, where the soil is thin and rocks generally too soft 
for good building material. Grand avenue is twelve miles long, running 
parallel with the river, and forming a grand broadway from the north to the 
south end of the city, and is destined in the future, with its fair-grounds, its 
great parks, cathedrals, churches, waterworks, 'and private residences, to be 
the boulevard of the Western continent. And yet, when this has been said, 
we have but commenced to tell of the wonders of a city destined in the future 
to equal London in its population, Athens in its philosophy, art and culture, 
Eome in its hotels, cathedrals, churches and grandeur, and to be the central 
commercial metropolis of a continent. 

It may be asked, how shall we have cognizance of the laws to give us faith 
in this being accomplished? Go, then, in imagination, ninety miles south of 
the city, over the railroad to the Iron Mountains, where is stored above the 
level of the valleys, iron ore sufficient to supply the wants of a densely- 
populated continent. One thousand tons of this ore now comes daily, over a 
down grade of seven hundred feet, to St. Louis. In another year a double- 
track railroad will be needed. Flanking this iron system is 10,000,000 acres of 
iron, lead, copper, zinc, antimony, nickel, tin, silver and gold regions ; west of 
this is another 10,000,000 acres, including Southwest Missouri, being fields 
of similar ores, and part coal. This, you will bear in mind, is south of the city. 
Now, let us look east. The four great trunk railroads leading east at ten 
miles from the city reach the coal measures, run each over two hundred miles 
of the great Illinois coal basin, where five or six coal veins are piled one vein 
above the other. To the north this same coal system is found, and all the 
railroads in North Missouri are crossing more or less over coal veins. To the 



5Q ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

West, the great trunk Pacific railroad, beyond Jefferson City, crosses over vast 
coal-fields, Kansas City being built centrally in this great field. 

Coal and iron are the bones and sinews of the most powerful of modern 
nations. Lead, zinc, and copper add strength. In the future, the country to 
pay tribute to this center are the vast cotton-fields of the lower Mississippi, 
the grain-growing regions of the North and West, the argentiferous and 
auriferous belts of Colorado and Montana. 

St. Louis, like ancient Kome, once with its 10,000,000 population, is destined 
to be flanked and surrounded with a galaxy or cordon of continental cities. 
Memphis, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Leavenworth, Dubuque, Keokuk, Daven- 
port, Jacksonville, Springfield, Terre Haute, and Indianapolis are a part of 
these satellites that in the future are to pay tribute to this center — taking 
in view the fact of their vast material resources, and these being the center of 
the great fruit, agricultural and wine belt of the continent. 

The people, the Teutonic and Celtic races, are the pioneer people in all the 
departments of human industry, politics, culture, theology. We apprehend 
that the most acute vision, even were that mind in harmony with the spirit of 
the times, and enabled through that means to look back through the dim 
geologic history of the past, when the economic laws were piling the iron, 
atom by atom, in these iron mountains, growing the dense flora of the coal 
plants, repleting the veins of lead, zinc, copper, tin, silver and gold, and at the 
same time comprehend the ridge, valley, spring, prairie, timber and river 
systems, and was enabled to go back in the ethnography and heraldry of these 
populations, and could fuse these elements or facts in the future, and at the 
sauio time realize the grandeur of the empires of the past — the Persian, 
under Cyrus ; the Macedonian, under Alexander the Great ; the Roman, under 
the Republic and the twelve Csesars — that the truth would be forced upon the 
mind, that in the future this great Valley of the Mississippi will include the 
center of an empire, before which, in wealth, power and grandeur, all these shall 
pale ; that St. Louis, sitting like a Queen on the banks of the great Father of 
Waters, will be the central city of this people, the tidal waves of whose 
civilization will roll to China and Japan on the west, and to the Bosphorus on 
the east; and with her continental railroad system, her telegraphs over 
mountains and under oceans, her vast water communication, will radiate law 
and order, and become the leading national, mining, and commercial metropolis 
of the Western hemisphere. 

St. Louis, though in its infancy, is already a large city. Its length is about 
twelve miles, and its width from four to five. Suburban residences, the out- 
posts of the grand advance, are now stationed six and eight miles from the 
river, and will soon be twenty. In 1865, the real and personal property of the 
city was assessed at 100,000,000, and in 1866 at 126,877,000. These figures, as 
well a3 the present assessment, $147,968,070, are understood by our city 
officials to be much below the real value of the city. 

St. Louis is a well-built city, but its architecture is more substantial than 
showy. The wide, well-paved streets, the spacious levee and commodious 
warehouses; the mills, machine shops and manufactories; the fine hotels, 



ST. LOUIS, THL. FUTURE GREAT CITY. 51 

churches, and public buildings; the universities, charitable institutions, publio 
schools and libraries, the growing parks, the well-improved and unequaled fair- 
grounds, and Mr. Shaw's jewel of a garden, which is by far the garden of the 
continent, constitute an array of excellencies and attractions of which any 
city may justly be proud. The appoarance of St. Louis from the eastern bank 
of the Mississippi is impressive. At East St. Louis the eye sometimes com- 
mands a view of one hundred steamboats lying at our levee. A mile and a 
half of steamboats lying at the wharf of a city 1,000 miles from the ocean, in 
the heart of a continent, is a spectacle which naturally inspires large views of 
commercial greatness. The sight of our levee, thronged with busy merchants 
and covered with the commodities of every clime, from the peltries of the 
Eocky Mountains to the teas of China, does not tend to lesson the magnitude 
of the impression. 

These thoughts of the growth and commerce of St. Louis could easily be 
extended to a discussion of the wealth and industry of our continent, but the 
amplification would be of no avail to a people whose minds, like their eyes, are 
so accustomed to range over largo extents, and are not content to sit down 
after having acquired a little power. 



Note. — While this work is written in the especial interest of St. Louis, it is not meant to cast 
a selfish or disparaging reflection upon Chicago, or any other cit} r on the American continent, or 
in the world. In fact, in a broader and higher sense, it indicates a grander growth for the entire 
American nation than is ordinarily conceived. It indicates a final organization of the world's 
wealth, industry and civilization, so as to foreshadow a better time for the world's people. 
It is not in my nature to be jealous or envious of the growth and prosperity of any place or 
people ; on the other hand, I am proud of Chicago. She is the great city of my native State — a 
State born under the auspices of an ordinance wide-reaching and beneficent in its influence — an 
ordinance akin to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of my country. I shall 
always be proud of Illinois, her prosperity, her people, and her cities. I only yield to the decision 
of that Providence which has assigned distinction and more abundant favors to States and 
cities, in proclaiming for St. Louis unequaled advantages over any city on the continent, and 
a destiny equal to any city in the world. No filial love can weigh against nature in the distribu- 
tion of her favors to establish power and greatness among men. Therefore, I am for St. Louis, 
destined, at no distant day, to be the great vitalizing heart of the world's civilization. But this 
is not an envious decision, not a declaration against Chicago, or any other cit} 7 of the continent; 
for it is narrow foolishness for the citizens of Chicago and St. Louis to be envious of each other's 
prosperity and industry. In the great West there is ample room for both cities to reach a point of 
growth unequaled in human histon', and there never will be a time when there is not room enough 
for both of them in this great valley, and never a time when the interests of the one do not con- 
tribute to the interests of the other, and the growth of the one be aided by the growth of the 
other. Then let each learn that her true interests are best served by an enterprising industry, 
guided by a liberal and comprehensive conception of the rapidly advancing progress of our 
nation. Without these, written essays in favor of either will bo of no avail ; and in the face of 
these, jealousy and envy are unbecoming the dignity of the citizens of eithor. Then away with 
that narrow judgment which is hemmed in by locality and warped by selfishness ! All our great 
cities are kindred in interest and humanity. They are triumphs of our industry, and living monu- 
cnents to the genius of our people. "They are all pearls upon one string" — jewels of a common 
v>untry, blossoms of our civilization, and governed by one all-pervading, beneficent law. 



52 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



WATER AS AN IMPORTANT AUXILIARY TO THE GROWTH OF A 

GREAT CITY, AND THE ADVANTAGE POSSESSED BY 

ST. LOUIS FOR AN INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY. 



A liberal supply of water has at all times been considered one of the chief 
necessities to the growth and prosperity of a large city. In many parts of 
Syria and Palestine large reservoirs and tanks were constructed in the past, 
which at the present time are the only resource for water during the dry 
season, and a failure of them involves drought and calamity. 

The most celebrated of the pools mentioned in Scripture are the pools of 
Solomon, about three miles southwest of Bethlehem, from which an aqueduct 
was carried which still supplies Jerusalem with water. These pools are said 
to be three in number, partly hewn out of the rock, and partly built with 
masonry, but all lined with cement. The largest of them is 582 feet long by 
207 feet wide and 50 feet deep. 

The Romans spared no expense to procure for their city an abundant supply 
of pure water. Their aqueducts, some of which are still in operation, at one 
time carried to that city 350,000,000 gallons of water daily, or 290 gallons 
daily for each inhabitant. Some of these aqueducts had a length of from thirty 
to seventy miles, and in magnificence and costliness far surpassed the most cele- 
brated works of modern origin. 

The earliest and most liberal provisions for a water supply on our own con- 
tinent were made by the cities of Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, and to 
this must be ascribed in a great measure the rapid growth of these cities. In 
1860 the amount of water supplied daily to each inhabitant of these cities 
averaged ninety-seven gallons in Boston, fifty-two gallons in New York, and 
thirty-six gallons in Philadelphia. The works in these cities when designed 
seemed to be of sufficient capacity to furnish a supply for many years, but 
their growth has been so rapid that they already feel the necessity of husband- 
ing their resources, and of taking measures to extend their works so as to be 
enabled to meet the increased and increasing consumption. In fact, during the 
severe drought of last year a scarcity of water was experienced in each of 
these cities, owing to the inadequacy of their sources of supply. 

The great advantage possessed by St. Louis in this respect consists in the 
fact that its source of supply is inexhaustible.- The Mississippi in time of an 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 53 

ordinary stage carries past the city about 1,500,000 gallons of water per 
second, or enough in six seconds to supply the present necessities of its inhabit- 
ants for a whole day. It is not only abundant, but is one of the most whole- 
some waters known. It is true that in time of high water it contains a large 
per centage of sedimentary matter, brought down by the swift current of the 
Missouri river, but of this it is easily freed by settling and filtering. And it is 
worthy of mention here that the old inhabitants of our city are so far from 
being averse to this admixture of sedimentary matter, that they almost regret 
that the new works now in course of construction will furnish them settled or 
clear water. 

The first waterworks in St. Louis consisted of a reservoir on the Big Mound, 
supplied by a small engine from the Mississippi river. It was constructed in 
1829-30, and designed to contain 300,000 gallons. The city of St. Louis then 
numbered 5,852 inhabitants. In 1850, the population being then 77,860, a 
larger reservoir was completed, holding about 8,000,000 gallons. This reser- 
voir has also been out of use for many years. The reservoir by which the city 
is now supplied was finished in 1855, when the city contained 125,000 inhabit- 
ants. The water is pumped into it b} r three pumps located at the foot of Bates 
street, and having a total capacity of about 11,000,000 gallons per day. One 
of these pumps was procured by the present Board of Water Commis- 
sioners in 1868, the other two not having sufficient capacity to supply the city 
beyond a contingency. Previous to the year 1860 it had become apparent that 
the existing works would soon be insufficient to supply the city. In fact, the 
area of the city had been extended so much, and in the direction of grounds 
so much higher than the reservoir, that a large portion of the territory 
included within the new limits could not be supplied. The question of new 
and more extended works was agitated for several years, but without any 
result, until the Governor of the State, under a law passed in January, 1865, 
appointed a Board of Water Commissioners. These gentlemen appointed Mr. 
James P. Kirkwood, the acknowledged head of hydraulic engineers in the 
United States, since his completion of the Brooklyn waterworks, their Chief 
Engineer. 

In October, 1865, Mr. Kirwood submitted several plans of works to the 
Commissioners. The one adopted by them was subsequently rejected by the 
Common Council, to whom, according to the then existing law, belonged the 
final decision of the matter. The members of the Board of Water Commis- 
sioners resigned, and a new Board appointed by the Governor, having retained 
Mr. Kirkwood's services, submitted new plans to the Common Council for 
approval, after Mr. Kirkwood had modified his former plans so as to bring 
them in accordance with the expressod opinion of the Council. There seeming 
to be but little hope that the conflicting opinions of the members of our City 
Council would ever admit of their approving any plan, a new law was passed 
by the Legislature which placed the whole matter in the hands of a commission 
of three members, and authorized them to apply the proceeds of three and a 
half millions of bonds, to be issued by the city, to the construction of the works. 
The new Board appointed as their Chief Engineer Mr. Thomas J. Whitman, an 



54 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

engineer of long experience in h} r draulic works. Mr. Kirkwood had declined 
to accept the position again, but consented to act as consulting engineer. 

The plan of their predecessors, with some slight alterations, was adopted 
by the new Board, and after acquiring the necessary land they proceeded at 
once, with the construction of the works. These works, of which we will give a 
brief description, are now nearly finished, and will, within two months, furnish 
the city with an abundant supply of pure and wholesome water. 

The water is taken from the Mississippi river, at what is called Bissell's 
Point, close to the northern boundary of the city. It first enters an iron tower, 
80 feet high, sunk to the rock, and provided with gates at different heights, so 
that the water may be taken at any desired depth below the surface. In this 
tower are several strainers and screens to freo the water from foreign matter 
before entering the pump-well. From this tower a pipe of 5£ feet interior 
diameter, and 300 feet in length, conducts the water to the pumping engines, 
that are to lift it into the settling reservoirs. These engines are two in number, 
and are duplicate engines of the Cornish-bull class — steam cylinder 64 inches 
diameter, 12 feet stroke, and plunger 54 inches in diameter and 12 feet stroke, 
each of a capacity to pump 17,000,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. The 
foundations for these engines are of the most substantial character, and to pro- 
vide for the rapidly increasing demand, have been constructed large enough to 
hold three engines, although one engine, working half time, could supply the 
present average demand of the city. To free the water from the sedimentary 
matter, or to settle it, particularly at seasons of high water, four settling 
reservoirs, each 240 by 660 feet, and averaging in depth about 20 feet, have 
been constructed close to the river bank. The water pumped by the low- 
service engines is, by an appropriate sot of gates, admitted at will into either 
of these four reservoirs j there it is left at perfect rest for twenty-four hours, 
during which time, according to experiments made on the subject, about 
nineteen-twentieths of the sedimentary matter falls to the bottom. During 
the next day the water is drawn off by a system of gates so arranged as not to 
stir up the sediment, and allow the water to discharge at all times near its 
surface ; the last three or four feet of water is not drawn off, but on the fourth 
day is allowed to run out into the river through proper sluice-gates, taking 
with it most of the sediment, while the remainder is washed out with the aid 
of an engine, and the reservoir is then ready for a new supply. Thus, each of 
the four reservoirs passes through the cycle of operation during four days. 
The water, after leaving the settling reservoirs, runs by gravity through a 
covered conduit about one-half mile long, into a small reservoir near the high- 
service engines, called the clear-water well, and from it through a short conduit 
to the high-service engines. These are two in number, with steam cjdinders ot 
85 inches diameter and 10 feet stroke, and pump cylinders 50 inches diameter 
and the same stroke. To give an idea of the size of these engines, we will state 
that the walking beam of each engine alone weighs 32 tons, and the fly-wheel 
36 tons ; in fact there are only one or two engines in existence that have a 
larger capacity than these, each of which must be able, according to contract, 
to raise sixteen and a half million gallons to a height of 270 feet within twenty- 



ST, LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 55 

four hours. These engines were built by the Knap Fort Pitt Foundry Com- 
pany, at Pittsburg, Penn. They pump through a force main five miles in 
length, and of 36 and 30 inches diameter, into the storage roservoir on Compton 
Hill. To relieve the engines and force main from any concussion, a stand 
pipe is now in process of construction which, when completed, will have a 
height of 242 foot above the ordinary high-water level of the river. It is about 
one-half mile from the high-service engines, and will, from its summit, present 
a view of the whole city, and of the river for many miles in its course. Before 
reaching the storage reservoir two pipe3 of 20-inch diameter branch off into 
the city and connect it with the present system of distribution, while a third 
feeder of the same size starts from the storage reservoir so as to secure con- 
tinual motion, and thereby prevent the water from becoming foul. 

The storage reservoir covers about seventeen acres of land, and is built 
near the city boundary, at the most elevated point within its limits. The 
elevation of its water surface will be twenty-six feet above the highest street 
grade, and will be ample to supply the upper story of every house in the city. 
We must not omit to mention in this connection that the greatest portion of 
the 8,000 tons of largo pipe needed in the construction of these works has been 
cast in this city by the enterprising firm of Shickle, Harrison & Howard. 

As before stated, the Commissioners expect to have the works ready to 
supply the city within a few months ; and unless some delay impossible to 
anticipate occurs, St. Louis will soon be able to boast of having the most 
liberal supply of wholesome water of any city in this country. What bene- 
ficial influence the completion of these works will have on the comfort and 
health of its inhabitants, and on the prosperity of its manufacturing interests, 
may be easily imagined. 



56 ST. LOUIS, 11LE iUlURE GREAT CITY. 



MISSOUKI AND HER RESOURCES. 



Missouri is the great central State of the World's Eepublic. Geographically 
considered, nearly equal portions of the American Union stretch out from her 
borders towards the North, South, East, and West. Its dormant and latent 
energies being once awakened and developed, Missouri must become the 
Empire State of the Center, as New York is of the East. Its climatic position 
is altogether propitious, the surface not being greatly elevated, and the State 
lying between the temperate parallels of 36° 30' and 40° 30 / N. latitude, and 
between the meridians of 89° 2' and 95° 52' W. longitude. 

The greatest length of the State, from East to West, is 320 miles, and its 
width, from North to South, 280. These dimensions embrace an area of 
67,380 square miles, equal to 43,123,200 acres of land ; being about one-third 
larger than England, and possessing twice the productive capacity of that 
wonderful country. Missouri is larger than any State east of the Mississippi, 
and possesses as much fruitful and arable soil as any of her sister States, 
whether East or West. Not less than 36,000,000 acres of land in Missouri are 
well adapted to furnish all the products of a temperate clime. 

No State is better supplied with fountains and streams, as well as with great 
rirers. It is bounded and bisected by the Mississippi and Missouri, two of the 
largest and longest rivers in the world ; rivers whose fountains are more than 
three thousand miles away, fed by the waters of the Itasca, or the eternal 
storms that breed and brood about the cliffs and canons of the Eocky Moun- 
tains, whose affluents water a score of States and Territories, and whose 
accumulated floods are poured into a torrid sea. One thousand miles of these 
great rivers lie within or upon the boundary of Missouri. The principal 
streams flowing into the Mississippi from this State are the Salt, Meramec, 
White, and St. Francois, the two latter being more properly rivers of Arkansas ; 
and the main affluents of the Missouri are the Osage, Gasconade, LaMine, 
Chariton, Grand, Platte, and Nodaway. 

Nature has given to Missouri vast resources in agricultural and mineral 
wealth, also abundant facilities for commanding and managing the intornal 
commerce of the West. St. Louis, her commercial capital, is near the conflu- 
ence of the two great rivers. There she stands, like the Apocalyptic angel, 
t( with one foot on the land, and the other on the sea," beckoning to her the 
white-winged mossengers of commerce from every ocean, and stretching out 
her iron fingers to grasp the internal trade of half a continent. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 57 

The geographical and mineralogical features of Missouri are not only pecu- 
liar, but such as add greatly to the value of its products. What is known as 
the "Ozark range" — not of mountains, but of hills — passes through the south 
half of the State from west to east ; sometimes appearing merely in the shape 
of elevated table-lands, and then again broken into rough and rugged hills. 
Most of the latter, however, are rich in metals or minerals, such as iron, lead, 
zinc, copper, coal, etc. Much tho larger portion of this hilly region, too, is 
susceptible of cultivation ; and for raising sheep, or the culture of the cereals, 
fruits, and especially grapes, no better land can be found anywhere east of the 
Eocky Mountains. As the first settlers in Missouri generally sought the rich 
alluvial and prairie soils of the northwestern and central portions of the State, 
the vast and fruitful region lying in the southwest, south, and southeast was 
neglected, and deemed almost worthless. Large quantities of this land, so rich 
in minerals, and readily yielding fine crops of grain and fruit, have, within a 
few years, been sold for 12 J cents per acre. That time has passed, however, 
and thousands of enterprising immigrants, both farmers and miners, are making 
for themselves pleasant and profitable homes in the south half of Missouri. 

The soil, along the river bottoms of Missouri is rich as the famed valley of 
the Nile. Only a little less fruitful, and much more easily put into cultivation, 
are the millions of acres of rich prairie land in the northwest and central poi-- 
tions of the State. The capacity of this State for producing food for both men 
and animals is something enormous. Whenever there is a full development of 
the State's resources, Missouri will furnish happy homes for five millions of 
people ; one-half making bread, not only for themselves, but to feed two or 
three millions of miners, mechanics, merchants, and professional men ; and the 
whole State receiving every year many millions more for her exports than she 
pays for imports. 

Looking at the two grand districts of Missouri a little more in detail, and 
beginning with the extreme southeast, we find an extensive bottom-land along 
the Mississippi, extending from Cape Girardeau south to the Arkansas river. 
It includes many swamps, which are rendered almost impenetrable by a dense 
growth of trees. The most extensive of these, called the Great Swamp, com- 
mences a few miles south of Cape Girardeau, and passes south to the mouth of 
the St. Francois, penetrating far into the State of Arkansas. This peculiar 
feature gave to Missouri its southeastern "pan-handle," or projection south of 
36° 30', the once charmed parallel between freedom and slavery. The early 
settlers in the region below Cape Girardeau, and south of the proper boundary 
of the State, could not reach any settlements in Arkansas, on account of the 
swamps, and prayed to be attached to Missouri, where they were in the habit 
of trading and getting their corn ground. 

Turning northward from the swamp region, and following up the course of 
the Mississippi, we find a belt of high lands reaching all the way up to the 
mouth of the Missouri. The highest part of this range is between St. Gene- 
vieve and the mouth of the Meramec, where the ridge rises from three to four 
hundred feet above the waters of the Mississippi. This ridge of high lands is 
the Ozark range, before alluded to, cut asunder by the Father of Waters, 



56 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

extending westward through the State, not losing its rough and rugged char- 
acter until it is lost in a ridge of high prairie. 

In the country north of the Missouri, constituting about one-third of the 
State, the country is more level, but sufficiently undulating to secure good 
drainage ; and the soil is generally excellent, a large portion of the country 
being a rich prairie, watered by numerous streams, each with its belt of timber. 
Altogether the richest soil and most productive portions of Missouri are to be 
found in the western and northwestern counties of the State. The Platte 
country, in the northwest, and Clay, Jackson, and Lafayette counties, in the 
west, have long been famed for their wonderful yield of hemp, grain, and stock. 

THE CLIMATF 

Of Missouri is peculiar. Being situated ab«ut half way between the great 
Southern Gulf and the semi-arctic regions of the North, with but slight barriers 
on either side, she is subject, like all Western States of the same latitude, to 
frequent changes of temperature. But notwithstanding the great and sudden 
transitions as indicated by the thermometer, Missouri may be considered a very 
healthy State. Pulmonary diseases very rarely originate here. In most parts 
of the State plowing and putting in crops commence in March, and the forests 
are in full foliage early in Mayj while in the extreme southern counties cotton 
is raised, and young stock manage to live through the winter with little or 
no care. 

Taking the State with all its advantages — its fruitful soil and healthful 
climate, its vast wealth of metals and minerals, its facilities for transportation 
by rail or river, its present wealth and prospective greatness — and there is 
scarcely another State in the American Union that affords such attractions and 
inducements either to the capitalist or the emigrant. 

HISTORY. 

Although the life of Missouri, as a State, has only extended through half a 
century, yet it has been the busiest and most progressive half centurj" in the 
annals of the world, and its characteristics have been stamped upon the history 
and fortunes of the State. Missouri had its origin amidst the first great 
political troubles and disputes of the American Bepublic. A compromise gave 
legal existence to the State, and this compromise was finally washed out in the 
blood of a civil war. The fraternal strife which for four years transformed the 
most boautiful country and the grandest political empire in the world into a 
great battle-field, gave a full share of its bloody fortunes to Missouri. Some 
of the fairest portions of the State were almost depopulated, and whole sections 
passed through the ordeal of blood and fire, and when the desolation had gone 
by, presented nothing but unpeopled and smoking ruins. But after tbe night 
oame the day, and the horrid wounds inflicted by civil war began to be healed 
by the angel of peace. It was sharp and painful surgery that cut away the old 
excrescence, but it left the body politic healthier, and all the people happier 
and more prosperous than ever before. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 59 

Under the old regime, the States of Illinois and Indiana, although far behind 
us in natural resources, were outstripping Missouri in the march of empire. 
Although the great advantages of the State brought many immigrants in spite 
of the system then in vogue, yet our sister States across the Mississippi were, 
at the commencement of the war, far in advance of us as regarded population 
and material wealth. This state of things is being rapidly changed by the 
multitudes of immigrants from the Eastern and Middle States and the Old 
World, who are seeking homes on our rich prairies, in our fruitful valleys and 
extensive forests, or in our exhaustless mines of iron, lead, and zinc. 

POPULATION. 

The present population of Missouri may be safely put down at nearly, if not 
quite, 2,000,000. The first census of the State, when it was admitted into the 
Union in 1821, showed a population of 70,647. From that date the number of 
inhabitants very nearly doubled each decade up to 1860, when the population 
of Missouri, including white, free colored, and slaves, amounted to 1,172,797. 
The war drained the State, not only of material wealth, but of multitudes of 
people ; but the return of peace, and the increased and ever-increasing tide of 
immigration, will bring the State up to three millions before the year 1880. Of 
the present inhabitants of Missouri about one hundred thousand, or one in 
fifteen, are colored. Considering the condition these people have been in for 
generations past, they have conducted themselves with great propriety since 
their formal emancipation in 1865. A large majority of them are not only 
making an honest support for themselves and families, but, by their industry 
and frugality, accumulating a decent competence. On the south side of the 
Missouri river especially, there is a large German element in the population. 
Wherever these people make homes in the country, and plant vineyards or 
cultivate small farms, you may look with confidence for present prosperity 
and future wealth. Every town or neighborhood in Missouri that has been 
planted by Germans is now actually wealthy, or has the elements of certain 
prosperity in the future. 

EDUCATION. 

But let us pass from those general views of a great State and its varied 
resources to some of the details which constitute the grand result. When we 
speak of the wealth of a State, we should not so much consider its rich mines, 
its fruitful soil, its genial climate, and its natural channels of commerce and 
communication, as its people. The people are all that give real wealth to any 
country. Without inhabitants, the fairest lands upon which the sun shines 
would be of no more value tban a barren beach or a rocky cliff. But, then, 
the people must have intelligence in order to give value to the country they 
inhabit. Savages make a land poorer instead of richer by their presence. 
And just in proportion as a community rise in the scale of civilization, 
intelligence, refinement, and moral worth, their lands and houses go up in their 
money value. 



60 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

In this matter Missouri made a grand investment at the very start, and her 
school fund has been so well husbanded and increased by legislation that she 
has now a system of public instruction that may challenge comparison with 
that of any State in the Union. It is not meant by this that the educational 
machinery of the State is everywhere in perfect working order, but that the 
foundations of the system are laid deep and secure ; and if any child of Mis- 
souri grows up in absolute ignorance, it will be because it refused the light that 
is offered almost " without money and without price." 

The following items will serve to indicate the present working of the common 
school system in Missouri : Number of children in State between five and 
twenty-one years, 584,026 for the year 1869 ; number of children in public 
schools, 249,729. It would be safe to estimate that 150,000 students were in 
the numerous colleges, seminaries, private and parochial schools, during the 
same year. Number of teachers in public schools, 7,145 ; number of public 
schools in the State, 5,307; number of public school-houses, 5,412; value of 
public school-houses, $3,087,062. 

The richly-endowed Industrial College, incorporated with the State Univer- 
sity, at Columbia, offers not only an academic but an agricultural education to 
all who desire to become scientific as well as practical farmers. Other incor- 
porated and leading institutions of learning in Missouri are : North Missouri 
Normal School, at Kirksville ; William Jewett College, at Liberty ; Grand 
Eiver College, at Edinburgh ; Plattsburg College, at Plattsburg ; McGeo Col- 
lege, at College Mound ; Christian University, at Canton ; Washington Uni- 
versity and St. Louis University, both at St. Louis; St. Paul's College, at 
Palmyra ; and Bethel College, at Palmyra. 

MANUFACTURES. 

No great community, living in a fertile and productive country, can be long 
or largely prosperous unless it shows a certain amount of independence, or 
rather an ability and disposition to supply most of its ordinary wants. A 
simple monopoly is always an evil, tending to enrich a few and impoverish the 
multitude. Before the war, the Southei'n States made cotton and sugar, and 
looked to the North almost entirely for breadstuffs. Since the war they have 
learned to produce a large portion of their food supplies, and, as a result, will 
soon be more prosperous than ever before. 

Missouri has a food-producing capacity sufficient to sustain thirty or forty 
millions of people. But it is by no means her policy to devote all her energies 
to raising corn, wheat, and pork, trusting entirely to other States and foreign 
countries for the ten thousand articles and implements demanded by the present 
civilization and the various industries connected with it. 

Missouri has illimitable quantities of the raw material, and wonderful facili- 
ties for generating the necessary power to transform that raw material into 
the thousand forms suited to the wants of civilized men. Until lately we have 
done but little in the way of manufactures beyond making wheat into flour, 
corn into whisky, hemp into bagging and rope, tobacco into shapes to suit 
smokers and chewers, and iron into stoves and heavy castings. But a new era 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 61 

has dawned upon the State. We have discovered that we can make a thousand 
articles of primary and pressing need just as well as they can be made in New 
or Old England. In the single article of iron, the capital invested in its manu- 
facture has quadrupled within the last four or five years. Capitalists from 
abroad, who have studied our resources and facilities for manufacturing iron, 
have become satisfied that Missouri must soon become one of the largest iron- 
producing States in the world ; and they are adding millions to the working 
capital employed in this branch of industry. 

The time is approaching when we shall not have to import our railroad iron 
from Europe, much of our pottery and queensware from other States, our glass 
and hardware from the good city of Pittsburg, and many of our woolen and 
cotton goods from New England. When that time comes, Missouri will hare 
achieved her great destiny as the Empire State of the Mississippi Valley. 

CREDIT OF MISSOURI. 

A country possessing such vast stores of material wealth as Missouri, 
although much of it is still undeveloped, should have proper credit and con- 
sideration in all bureaus of finance throughout the world. A State that could 
oe sold under the hammer to-day for more than a thousand millions of dollars 
should have her bonds as good as gold. They are nearly so, in spite of the 
heavy railroad debt incurred before the war. This debt is being rapidly can- 
celed, and very soon Missouri 6's will stand at par or a premium. It may not 
be improper to add in this connection, that the assessed value of the taxable 
property in Missouri in 1868, with such addition as the assessors themselves 
allow to be correct in estimating the real cash value of property, amounted to 
11,177,000,000, and this vast amount will be increased to at least $1,250,000,000 
the present year. 

STOCK-RAISING. 

Perhaps there is no one of the great Western States of the American Union 
better adapted to stock-raising than Missouri. Abundant crops of grain and 
corn are almost as certain as the return of the seasons. The climate in most 
parts of the State is mild enough to preclude the necessity of much shelter or 
long feeding in winter. Small streams, with their meandering branches and 
bubbling fountains, lie like a net-work all over the State ; and some of these 
streams are so impregnated with salt as to supply stock with all they need of 
this article. 

The following exhibits the number and value of horses, mules, cattle, sheep, 
and hogs, in 1868 : 

VALUE. 

Horses 375,400 $19,203,427 

Mules 86,299 4,822,988 

Cattle 933,517 12,169,234 

Sheep 1,385,805 1,951,078 

Hogs 1,952,532 3,734,006 



Total...4,733,453 $41,880,733 



62 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



VALUE OP LAND IN MIS80URI. 

It is doubtful whether any other State in the Mississippi Valley can furnish 
good land at so moderate a price as Missouri. On the south side of the Mis- 
souri river there are more than a million of acres (much of it good land) still 
to be given away as homesteads. In the same portion of the State there are 
millions of acres, mostly lying south of the Osage river, that can be bought for 
from fifty cents to five dollars an acre. Much of this land is equal to any in 
the whole country for vineyards, fruit, and sheep farms. In the extreme 
southeastern quarter of the State there is an immense body of the richest land 
in the world, which can be restored to use by drainage, and that, too, at a mod- 
erate cost, compared with the value of the land to be redeemed. Not only can 
a large portion of the land in the south half of Missouri be obtained very 
cheaply, but even the finely cultivated farms along the vailey of the Missouri 
and all over the rich prairies of the western, central, and northern portions of 
the State, can be purchased lower than the same kind of land and improvements 
in Illinois. No country in the wide West offers stronger inducements to the 
enterprising and industrious immigrant than Missouri. If he is a farmer, our 
fruitful soil awaits the hand of the cultivator, to whom it will return " thirty, 
fifty, or an hundred fold." If he is & miner or mechanic, his hands shall find 
plenty of work, with liberal pay. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITT. 68 



MINERAL RESOURCES OF MISSOURI. 



BY PEOF. G. C. SWALLOW, 

FORMER STATS GEOLOGIST. 



Colttmbia Mo., September SO, 1870. 
L. U. Reavis, Esq. : 

My Dear Sir : Your note requesting me to make out a chapter on the Mineral Resources of 
Missouri for the new edition of your work, was duly received. I have attempted to comply with 
your request ; but numerous previous engagements have rendered it impossible for me to make 
it as perfect and complete as I would wish. 

Permit me to suggest that your article on this subject, in the first edition, is too valuable to be 
omitted in the future editions. Our minerals and our soils are the foundations of the argument, 
and upon these you can scarcely say too much. 

I heartily wish you entire success in your great work, hoping ere long to congratulate you in 
the Mound City, when it shall have become the Business Metropolis and the Political Capital of 
the nation. 

Very truly, your obedient servant, 

G. C. SWALLOW. 



There is no territory of equal extent on the continent which contains so 
many and such large quantities of the most useful minerals as the State of 
Missouri. In making this remark there is no desire to underrate the mineral 
resources of other States or of the adjacent Territories, but to announce the 
fact that some good fortune has set the boundaries of this State around a por- 
tion of country filled with an unusual amount of the mineral substances useful 
in the arts and manufactures, and that several of those most useful are found 
in such quantities that the supply is virtually inexhaustible. There are some 
that no demand for home consumption or for foreign supplies can exhaust 
within the time allotted for the rise, progress, and decay of nations. 

Only small portions of the precious metals have been discovered in Missouri ; 
nor is it desirable there should be. It is true that deposits of silver and gold 
concentrate populations very rapidly and yield many large fortunes ; but 
history does not show that countries producing silver and gold have been per- 
manently prosperous. Gold built up California very rapidly, and it is now 
filled with a great and prosperous people ; but gold does not keep them there, 
nor does it induce the present immigration. The beautiful climate and 
wonderful agricultural resources are its present attractions. 



64 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

Mexico and Peru have large and numerous deposits of precious metals ; but 
they have #ever secured permanent prosperity, though peopled by what were 
the best races of Europe. 

Spain has had vast quantities of gold and silver, both at home and in her 
foreign possessions, from the earliest antiquity; but the most prosperous 
nations of ancient and modern times have imported nearly all the gold and 
silver they have used. Gold mining has yielded many colossal fortunes, as to 
Croesus in ancient times, and to many familiar names of later date ; still tho 
great mass of those engaged in gold mining have lived poor and died poor. 
These results might be expected from the very nature of the business. Nine- 
tenths of all the labor spent in the search for and in mining gold meets with 
no reward, while some of it has been rewarded with signal success. All who 
engage in this business, therefore, have high expectations, and many spend 
their gains lavishly, live fast, and, if not successful, often become dissipated 
and worthless. Almost all other pursuits yield a reward which may be calcu- 
lated with some degree of certainty, which gives stability and permanence and 
leads to regular habits and progress. These results become very marked in 
national character when examined in the light of history. Great Britain and 
Spain give a striking illusti*ation. Scarcely three centuries have elapsed since 
the united crowns of Castile and Aragon ruled a more prosperous people than 
the thrones of Albion and Scotia. Spain extended her rule over the fairest 
portions of the New "World and held the commerce of both hemispheres. 
Galleon after galleon, deeply laden with the precious metals from the mines of 
Mexico and Peru, filled the treasury of the government and the pockets of her 
people. England, on the other hand, Was opening her mines of iron and coal 
and pushing her manufactories by aH the appliances of science and art. 

Spain has squandered her gold and become a mere pensioner on Cuba. But 
England now holds the commerce of both Indies, and the world pays a golden 
tribute to her iron and coal. 

If Missouri will work up her iron and coal she may become as powerful and 
rich as England. She has more territory and better soil, more and better iron 
and quite as much coal. 

People who work iron partake of its strong and hardy nature. They move 
the world and shape its destinies. The region tributary to St. Louis has far 
more of the very best varieties of iron ore than can be found available for any 
other locality in the known world ; and the facilities for working these vast 
deposits are unsurpassed. The country is well watered; timber is abundant; 
and all is surrounded by inexhaustible coal beds. These facts alone will make 
St. Louis the great iron mart of the country. 

SPECULAR OXIDE OP IRON. 

This is one of the most abundant and valuable ores in the State. Iron 
Mountain is the largest mass observed. It is two hundred feet high and covers 
an area of five hundred acres, and is made up almost entirely of this ore in its 
purest form. The quantity above the surface of the valley is estimated at 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 65 

200,000,000 tons. But this is only a fraction of the ore here, as it descends to 
unknown depths, and every foot of the descent will yield some 3,000,000 tons. 
Veins of this ore cut the porphyry at the shut-in, the location of the first iron 
furnace erected in this region. Fine beds of this ore were also found at the 
Buford ore-bed at the Big Bogy Mountains, at Bussell Mountain, at the James 
iron-works, and other localities in Phelps county ; and in sections two, three, 
ten, and eleven, of township thirty-five, range four, west, in Dent county, on 
the Southwest Pacific railroad, and in several other localities in that county 
There are several important deposits in Crawford, Phelps, and Pulaski counties. 

SILICIOUS SPECULAR OXIDE 

Is found in very large quantities in Pilot Knob, where it is interstratified 
with slates and porphyry, as in the famous Iron Mountain near Lake Superior. 
The iron of Pilot Knob has been worked for many years. Its quality is as good 
as its quantity is great. 

MAGNETIC AND SPECULAR OXIDE 

Exists in large veins in the porphyry of Shepherd Mountain. It is very pure, 
and large quantities have been worked. 

There is iron enough, of the very best quality, within a few miles of Pilot 
Knob and Iron Mountain to furnish one million tons of manufactured iron per 
annum for the next two hundred years. All these ores are well adapted to the 
manufacture of pig metal, and the most of them are suitable'for making blooms 
by the Catelau process, and steel by the Bessemer. 

BOG ORE 

Has been discovered in beds several miles in extent in the swamps and 
cypresses of Southeast Missouri — in Scott, Mississippi, Dunklin, Pemiscot, 
and New Madrid counties, in quantity sufficient in itself alone to make 
Missouri the great Iron State. 

HEMATITE ORES 

Of good quality are very generally distributed over the southern part of the 
State, where it is often found in very extensive beds. Large deposits have 
been discovered in Cooper, St. Clair, Green, Henry, Franklin, Benton, Dallas, 
Camden, Stone, Madison, Iron, Washington, Perry, St. Francois, Reynolds, 
Stoddard, Scott, and Dent counties. The beds discovered in Scott, Stoddard, 
and Perry counties are very extensive and of good quality. The beds in the 
tertiary rocks of Scott county are not so good. In these beds of hematite 
alone Misssouri has more iron than can be smelted in the present and 
succeeding generations. 

SPATHIC ORE 

Has been discovered in very extensive beds in the tertiary rocks of Scott 
county, where the ore is very pure. The coal measures of Missouri contain 
D 



66 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

many beds of spathic ore ; and it is found in greater or less quantities through- 
out the entire area of 27,000 square miles covered by these rocks. These beds 
of ore are similar to many worked extensively in England and Pennsylvania j 
and, in the absence of the vast beds of other ores of better quality, they would 
attract more attention and be made productive. 

Were it possible to exhaust the more available deposits in the State, the 
spathic ores of the tertiary and coal rocks could supply all the demands for 
iron for a long period. 

In a chapter so limited it is impossible to mention all the hundreds of locali- 
ties already discovered, to say nothing of the areas not jet explored. There 
are already recorded in the reports of the geological survey fifty-six workable 
beds in Green, Phelps, Maries, and Crawford counties alone, and good ore is 
still more abundant in the counties of the Southeast. 

In other States there are many very extensive iron deposits, which will 
naturally gravitate toward St. Louis. Among them there are some very 
valuable in the Indian Territory, which our railroads will make available. 

But the most extensive iron bed yet observed is on the Missouri river, crop- 
ping out in the bluffs on both banks of the river for a distance of more than 
twenty-five miles. These beds are on the river, and many million tons could 
be mined and put on boats for less than one dollar per ton ; and the expense 
of carrying to St. Louis, down stream, would be very small. 

Other localities might be mentioned, but we have shown the position of 
enough of the various varieties of iron ore to supply any possible demand of 
any possible manufacturing city for the next thousand years, and all is so 
located as to be tributary to St. Louis. 

The simple fact that such quantities of iron ore do exist so near and in 
places so accessible, will compel this young and vigorous city to become the 
Iron Mart. The iron furnaces at Iron Mountain, Pilot Knob, Irondale, Moselle 
works, James works, St. Louis, and Carondelet, fifteen in all, with a capacity 
of 130,000 tons, and two rolling mills with a capacity of 40,000 tons, and the 
numerous foundries and machine shops, are the growth of a few years — a mere 
beginning of the great work of utilizing our iron ores. These will increase in 
a rapid ratio until a hundred furnaces pour forth the molton metal, a score of 
mills roll it into rails and bars and plates, and a hundred foundries mold it 
into the ten thousand shapes and forms demanded by human industry. Then 
shall we see the millenium of iron men, and our people be prepared to appre- 
ciate tho value of our iron beds; and they will appreciate the justice of your 
noble tribute to the pioneers of iron in Missouri. 

COAL. 

Mineral coal has done much to promote the "rapid progress of the present 
century. Commerce and manufactures could not have reached their present 
unprecedented prosperity without its aid ; and no peoplo can expect success in 
those departments of human industry unless their territory furnishes an abun- 
dance of this useful mineral. Previous to the geological survey it was known 



ST. LOUIS, TII£ FUTURE GREAT CITY. 67 

that coal existed in many counties of- the State, but there was no definite 
knowledge of the continuation of workable beds over any considerable areas j 
but since the geological survey commenced, the southeastern outcrop of the 
coal measures has been traced from the mouth of the Des Moines, through 
Clark, Lewis, Shelby, Monroe, Audrain, Boone, Cooper, Pettis, Henry, St. Clair, 
Bates, Vernon, and Barton, into the Indian Territory, and every county on the 
northwest of this line is known to contain more or less coal, giving us an area 
of over 26,000 square miles of coal beds in that part of the State. We have 
proved the existence of vast quantities of coal in Johnson, Pettis, Lafayette, 
Cass, Cooper, Chariton, Howard, Boone, Saline, Putnam, Adair, Macon, Carroll, 
Pay, Callaway, Audrain, and it is confidently expected that the counties to the 
northwest will prove to bo as rich when fully examined. Outside of the coal- 
field as given above, the regular coal rocks also exist in Palls, Montgomery, 
Warren, Callaway, St. Charles, and St. Louis, and local deposits of eannel and 
bituminous coal in Moniteau, Cole, Morgan, Crawford, Callaway, and probably 
other counties. Workable beds of good coal exist in nearly all places where 
the coal measures are developed, as some of the best beds are near their base, 
and must crop out on the borders of the coal-field. This is found to bo the fact 
where examinations have been made. All of the little outliers along the border 
contain more or less coal, though the stratas are not more than forty or fifty 
feet thick. But, exclusive of these outliers and local deposits, wo have an area 
of twenty-six thousand eight hundred square miles of the regular coal measures. 
If the average thickness of workable coal be one foot only, it will give 26,800,- 
000,000 tons for the whole area occupied by coal rocks. But in many places 
the thickness of the workable beds is over fifteen feet, and the least estimate 
that can be made for the whole area is five feet. This will give over 134,000,- 
000,000 tons of good available coal in our State. Such were our estimates of 
the coal in Missouri in 1855. Since then new beds have been opened in the 
area above designated and large tracts discovered in other parts of the State, 
along the whole line of the southeastern outcrop of the lower coal strata, 
from the mouth of the Des Moines to the Indian Territory. Along the lines of 
all the railroads in North Missouri, and along the western end of the Missouri 
Pacific, active and systematic mining has opened our coal beds in a thousand 
localities, and developed a series of facts which render it absolutely certain that 
our former estimate falls far below the real quantity in the State. Prior to 
1855 no eoal beds had been discovered on the Missouri river between Kansas 
City and Sioux City, save one or two thin beds in the upper coal measures, and 
practical men were slow to believe the geologist could detect the existence of 
coal beneath the surface. But some brave men at Leavenworth City have sunk 
a shaft to one of the lowest coal beds, 700 feet beneath their city, and more 
than 600 feet below the Missouri river at that point. The success of this enter- 
prise proves the deductions of science that our lower coal beds, which crop ou<T 
along the eastern boundary of our coal-field, from Clark cotPnty to Vernon, dip 
beneath the surface and extend to the west as far at least as Leavenworth, or 
beyond the western boundary of Missouri. 

This and other similar developments prove to a moral certainty that our esti- 



68 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

mate of the coal in the State at 134,000,000,000 tons is much too small. But 
since that is enough, we need not make new figures. But it is not the coal of 
Missouri alone which is tributary to St. Louis. The 12,000 square miles of coal 
measures in Kansas, as much more in the Indian Territory and Arkansas, and 
still larger areas in Iowa and Illinois and Kentucky, are so located as to form 
around St. Louis a circle of fuel at once accessible and inexhaustible. Coal is 
but one remove from the diamond ; but that slight difference makes it vastly 
more valuable — the motive power of the world. Could all the millions of men 
on the earth live ft thousand years, and put forth all their strength for that 
whole period, the power exerted would sink into insignificance when compared 
with the latent power inherent in this circle of coal-fields. What crown, then, 
can be more fitting for this Queen City than this circle of coal-fields, gemmed 
with mountains of iron. 

ECONOMICAL VALUE. 

In our efforts to appreciate the value of so vast a deposit of this most useful 
mineral and its influence on the growth of St. Louis, we should constantly bear 
in mind the position of these beds, beneath the soil of one of the richest agri- 
cultural regions on the continent, within a State whose manufacturing and 
commercial facilities and resources are scarcely inferior to anj*, and adjacent to 
the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and the Pacific, the ISorth Missouri, and the 
Hannibal and St. Joseph railroads. 

With all these advantages of location, the certainty that these coal beds can 
furnish 100,000,000 tons per annum for the next thirteen hundred years, is a 
fact of the first importance to your city and its wonderful future. These coal 
beds contain nearly all known varieties of bituminous and cannel coals, such 
as are suited to almost all manufacturing purposes. 

LEAD ORE. 

The most important deposits of lead in Missouri are galena, or the sulphuret 
of lead. Carbonates of tin occur in considerable quantities, and sometimes 
small portions of other ores of this valuable metal are found. Our lead mines 
have been worked with great success for the last half century. It is true that 
tho amount of mining done and the success at various points have been some- 
what variable, as is always the case in mining operations when conducted and 
carried on by men who have but little capital and practical knowledge of the 
work, as ours have been in some considerable degree at least. Many of our 
mines have been neglected for various reasons ; some on account of disputed 
titles ; others from the general depression of the business j and others on 
, account of the late military troubles. But there is no good reason to suppose 
our mines would be less productive now than at any previous period. Few or 
none have been exhausted, and many are now worked with greater success than 
at any previous time. All the facts encourage a more extended effort to work 
and more fully develop some of the neglected mines and open new ones. 

Our space will not permit a detailed account of the lead mines of the State. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



69 



There are more than five hundred localities, old and new, that promise good 
returns to the miner. Two hundred and sixteen have been catalogued in my 
report on the Southwest Pacific railroad. 

The Eastern Lead Region comprises a large portion of Franklin, Washington, 
Jefferson, Crawford, Phelps, Dent, Madison, St. Francois, Perry, St. Genevieve, 
and some parts of the adjoining counties, giving an area of some five thousand 
square miles. 

The Southwestern Lead Region comprises a large portion of Newton, Jasper, 
and small tracts of the adjoining counties, making an area of about two 
hundred square miles. 

The Osage Lead Region contains a considerable portion of Cole, Moniteau, 
Morgan, Benton, Camden, Pettis, Cooper, and Miller, and some of the adjoining 
counties — an area of about one thousand five hundred square miles. 

The Southern Lead Region comprises portions of Taney, Christian, Webster, 
and probably other counties not yet surveyed on the south. The extent is not 
known, as that part of the State has not been fully examined ; but there is at 
least one hundred square miles in the counties above named. 

In the Eastern Lead Region 5,000 square miles. 

" Southwest'n " 200 

« Osage " i' 500 

" Southern " 10 ° 

In all these an area of. 6 > 800 s( l uare miles ' 

It is not to be supposed that these areas, large as they are, contain all the 
lead lands of the State. 

We have not yet examined a single county south of the Osage and the Mis- 
souri, save in the swamp country, without finding in it more or less of this 
valuable mineral ; and besides, nearly all these counties are underlaid by the 
trae lead-bearing rocks of our State. We have, then, six thousand eight hun- 
dred square miles in which lead deposits in workable quantities have been found 
and successfully worked, and at least fifteen thousand square miles more of 
lead-bearing rocks, where we may reasonably expect to find valuable deposits 
of this mineral. Detailed descriptions of many of our lead mines may be found 
in the State Geological Eeports. 

Some have supposed our mines are like those in Illinois and other points on 
the Upper Mississippi, and that they would soon be exhausted. But the mines 
of Missouri are entirely different in many respects. 

1. They are in entirely different formations. The lead mines in the South- 
west and in Cooper county are in the lower carboniferous rocks, the same as 
the lead-bearing rocks of England, which have been worked so long with so 
much success; and the mines in the Eastern, Southern, and Osage lead regions 
of the State are in the calciferous sand-rock and Potsdam sandstone — rocks 
much older than the Galena limestone. 

2. The lead-bearing rocks of Galena have a thickness of only about 100 
feet, whereas the lead-bearing rocks of Missouri are more than 1,000 feet in 
thickness. 



70 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

3. The veins on the Upper Mississippi do not pass through into the forma- 
tions above and below the lead-bearing limestone ; they stop when they come 
to the sandstone. In Missouri the veins cut through the sandstone above and 
below the lead-bearing limestones, as at the Mount Hope mines. 

4. In "Wisconsin and Illinois there appear to be no true veins, whereas in 
Missouri there are many veins like the true veins of Cornwall. 

These and other marked differences indicate the more permanent character 
of the Missouri mines. That they belong to the same class as the more perma- 
nent mines of England and Wales, is clearly shown by the following charac- 
teristics, which they possess in common with the best mining regions of the 
world. No one who is familiar with the geological features of the principal 
mineral regions of the globe can fail to observe the striking characteristics 
which our mineral region has in common with many of the most important in 
other parts. 

1. Proximity to igneous or eruptive rocks. It is a well-known fact that 
nearly all the great mining regions of Great Britain, Russia, Hungary, Ger- 
many, Norway, Fi*ance, South America, Mexico, and this country, aro in regions 
adjacent to igneous rocks, like the mineral region just described. There are, 
however, some productive localities which are far removed from any known or 
exposed igneous rocks. The localities occupied by the Kupfer Schiefer, at 
Mansfeldt, the lead region of the mountain limestone in England, the Upper 
Mississippi lead region, those in the southwestern part of this State, and some 
others, seem to be exceptions to this rule. The mines in the most of these 
exceptional regions, though often rich and vastly productive for a time, have 
not proved so extensive and durable, as their mineral deposits seldom occur in 
true veins. 

It may be remarked that some portions of the mineral region of Southeast 
Missouri are somewhat removed from Iron and Madison counties, the principal 
center of igneous action in this State; but we have good reason to believe that 
igneous rocks underlie this whole mineral region at no great depth, since they 
come to the surface in a few places, even on the outer borders of it, as in 
Crawford, Washington, St. Genevieve, Wayne, Shannon, and Texas counties. 
This fact being understood, this whole region, in its relation to igneous and 
eruptive rocks, is the peer of the most favored mining districts in the world. 

2. The sedimentarj" rocks have been more or less fractured, tilted, and meta- 
morphosed by those intrusive or igneous rocks, as shown by the metamorphic 
slates at Pilot Knob and in several places in Madison county. The same results 
have been produced on Lake Superior, in Cornwall, and in many other rich 
localities. 

3. The several kinds of igneous rocks have been forced to the surface at 
several successive periods. This is true of our region, of Cornwall, and of 
other favored mining districts. 

4. The ores occur in true veins, as in Cornwall and nearly all the best mines 
in the world. 

5. Gossan, a porous oxide of iron, occupies the upper part of many veins, 
especially those of copper, in this, the Cornwall, and many other districts of 



8T. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 71 

great mineral wealth. This cap of gossan — " chapeau defer" of French 
minors, and " eiserne hut" of the Germans — is common in the best mining 
regions of Europe, Asia, and America — in Franco, Cornwall, Colorado, Mon- 
tana, and Missouri. The German couplet expresses the popular opinion among 
miners : 

"Es ist nic nicht Gang so gut, 
Der tragt nicht einen eisernen Hut." 

No vein is deemed so good 
As one that has an iron hood. 

6. Large eruptive masses of iron ore characterize many of the best mining 
regions, as in the Ural Mountains, Norway, Sweden, Lake Superior, and Mis- 
souri. These mountain masses are not always in the immediate vicinity of the 
other ores, but they are intimately connected with the disturbing forces which 
have produced the mineral veins. 

7. As a general rule, the true veins of this region do not possess such well- 
marked and extensive selvages as this variety of lodes usually do ; but, like the 
true veins of Cornwall, their gangue is usually connected with or cemented to 
the wall-rock. 

8. In many of the best mining regions there are two sets of veins — one 
running nearly north and south, and the other nearly east and west. One set 
is usually more productive than the other. 

In Missouri there is an approximation to this. The true veins of Franklin 
county usually run north and south, but there are others which run east and 
west, as on Mineral Branch, or Lead Run, near the Bourbeuse. These east and 
west' veins contain some galena and tiff, but they have not been sufficiently 
explored to prove their value. 

In Cornwall the east and west veins are the most productive, whereas in 
Brittany the north and south veins are the richer. 

Beside these eight most important characteristics of the best mining districts, 
our mining region has others in common with them all ; but I will not enlarge 
upon this part of the subject further than to mention a few particulars in which 
this region is strikingly like that so renowned in Cornwall : 

Igneous or eruptive rocks play a conspicuous part in each region. Both have 
granite knobs and ridges; both green stone and syenitic trap dykes. Both have 
metamorphic slates, the «killas"of the Cornish miners. Both have intrusive 
masses of porphyry, or porphyritic dykes, the "eleraus" of the Cornish miners. 
Both have true veins, in which the vein stone is usually cemented to the 
wall-rock without any selvages. Both have veins with gossan caps. Both 
have veins containing copper, iron, lead, zinc, cobalt, nickel, and silver. Both 
have about the same varieties of the ores of copper and some other metals. 
Both have about the same elevation above the ocean. Both have similar topo- 
graphical developments. 

The lead mines of Arkansas and the Upper Mississippi send their products 
to St. Louis. The English mines also send their tribute, as will the ten thousand 
lead veins of Colorado and Montana. 



72 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

COPPER. 

This metal is found in many localities in the State. Several varieties of 
copper ore exist in the Missouri mines. The copper mines of Shannon, Madi- 
son, and Franklin counties have been known for a long time. Some of those 
in Shannon and Franklin were once worked with bright prospects of success, 
and some in Madison have yielded good results. 

Deposits of copper have been discovered in Dent, Crawford, Benton, Maries, 
Green, Lawrence, Dade, Taney, Dallas, Phelps, Eeynolds, and Wright counties. 
But the mines in Franklin, Shannon, Madison, Crawford, Dent, and Washington 
give greater promise of yielding profitable results than any other yet discov- 
ered. When capitalists are prepared to work these mines in a systematic 
manner, they may expect good returns for the money invested. 

ZINC 

Sulphuret of zinc is very abundant in nearly all the lead mines in South- 
western Missouri, particularly in those mines in Newton and Jasper, in the 
mountain limestone. The carbonate and the silicate occur in the same locali- 
ties, though in much smaller quantities. The ores of zinc are also found in 
greater or less abundance in ail the counties on the southwestern branch ; but 
the distance from market and the difficulties in smelting the most abundant of 
these ores, the sulphuret, have prevented the miners from appreciating its real 
value. It often occurs in such large masses as to impede very materially the 
progress of mining operations. For this reason black-jack is no favorite with 
the miners of the Southwest. Many thousand tons have been cast aside with 
the rubbish as so much worthless matter ; but the completion of the South- 
western railroad will give this ore a market value and convert into valuable 
merchandise the vast quantities of it which may be so easily obtained in Jasper, 
Newton, and other counties of the Southwest. Considerable quantities of the 
sulphuret, carbonate, and silicate also occur in the eastern lead regions. At 
Perry's mine, at Mount Hope mine, and at a locality near Potosi, these ores 
exist in some considerable quantities. 

Little has been done to test the value of the ores of zinc in these and other 
localities in the State ; but a beginning has been made with promising results. 
There is an extensive vein of calamine in Taney county, which will doubtless 
prove very valuable. 

COBALT 

Exists in considerable quantities at Mine La Motte. It has been found in one 
other locality. It will doubtless be discovered in other places. 

NICKEL 

Is also worked at Mine La Motte in considerable quantities. 

MANGANESE. 

The peroxide of manganese has been found in several localities in St. 
Genevieve and other counties. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 73 



SILVER 



Occurs in small quantities in nearly all the lead mines in the State, in com- 
bination with the ores of that metal. 



GOLD, 



Though often reported in large quantities in sundry localities, has never been 
worked to any considerable extent in any part of the State. 



TIN. 



Ores said to have large quantities of tin have attracted much attention, and 
much money and labor have been spent in efforts to mine and reduce them ; but 
the results are unknown to the writer. Flattering reports have been made of 
the yield at some localitie 



PLATINUM. 

Some parties have reported platinum in small quantities in the dykes of 
Madison county. 

MARBLE. 

Missouri has numerous and extensive beds of marble of various shades and 
quantities. Some of them are very valuable, and will become a very important 
item in our resources. 

Fort Scott Marble is a hard, black, finegrained marble, with veins of yellow, 
buff, and brown. It receives a fine polish, and is very beautiful. It belongs to 
the coal measures, and is found in several places in Kansas near the Missouri 
line, and doubtless extends into Missouri. There are several beds in the St. 
Louis limestone, in St. Louis county, which have attracted some attention as 
fine marbles. Some of them are very beautiful and durable. 

The fourth division of oncrinital limestone is a white, coarse-grained, crys- 
talline marble of great durability. It crops out in several places in Marion 
county. One of the best localities is in the bluffs of the Mississippi, between 
McFarland's branch and the Fabius. The lithographic limestone will furnish a 
hard, fine grained, bluish-drab marble, that would contrast finely with white 
varieties in tesselated pavements for halls and courts. 

Tho Cooper marble of the Onondaga limestone has numerous pellucid crys- 
tals of calcareous spar disseminated through a drab, or bluish-drab, fine, compact 
base. It exists in great quantities on the La Mine, in Cooper county, on Lee's 
creek, and in some other places in Marion county. It is admirably adapted to 
many ornamental uses. There are many extensive beds of fine variegated 
marbles in the upper silurian limestones of Capo Girardeau county. They crop 
out in many places extending from Apple Creek, on the northern boundary of 
the county, to Capo Girardeau, and thence along the bluffs facing the swamps 
to the southwest. Capo Girardeau marble is also a part of tho Trenton lime- 
stone located near Capo Girardeau. It is nearly white, strong and durable. 

There are several beds of ver}- excellent marble in the magnesian limestone 
series. In sections thirty-four and thirty-five of township thirty-four, range 



74 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

uhree, east, are several beds of semi-crystalline, light-colored marbles, beauti- 
fully clouded with buff and flesh colors. They recoive a fine polish ; are durable 
and well fitted for many varieties of ornamental work and building purposes. 
But one of the most desirable of the Missouri marbles is in the third magnesian 
limestone, on the Niangua. It is a fine-grained, crystalline, silico-magnesian 
limestone, light drab, slightly tinged "with peachblossom, and beautifully clouded 
with deep flesh-colored shades. It is twenty feet thick, and crops out in the 
bluffs of the Niangua for a long distance. This marble is rarely surpassed in 
the qualities adapted to ornamental architecture. 

There are also several other beds in this and the other magnesian limestones. 
Some are plain, while others are so clouded as to present the appearance of 
breccias. The beautiful Ozark marbles are well known. Some of them have 
been used in ornamenting the Capitol at Washington and for other purposes. 
Wherever the magnesian limestones come near the igneous rocks we may 
expect to find them so changed as to present beds of these beautiful variegated 
marbles. 

LIMESTONES. 

There is a great variety of excellent limestones in all parts of Missouri and 
in many localities in the adjacent States, which will furnish any quantity of 
the best materials of that class for building purposes. Some of these lime- 
stones have been much used, and others will supply the increasing demand as 
the means of transportation are extended to interior localities. 

HYDRAULIC LIMES 

Are abundant in numerous localities. Some of them have been tested with 
good results. The middle beds of the vermicular sandstone in Cooper and 
Marion counties are hydraulic. 

The upper beds of the lithographic limestone in Marion, Kails, and Pike 
counties possess marked hydraulic properties; and several limestones in Capo 
Girardeau county appear to be hydraulic. 

The upper beds of the Chouteau limestone in Boone, Cooper, Moniteau, 
Pettis, and other counties, are in the highest degree hydraulic. They resemble 
the hydraulic strata at Louisville. The upper and lower strata of the Hudson 
river group have the same properties. The same is true of some portions of 
the magnesian limestone series as developed in some parts of South Missouri. 
From some of these sources we may confidently expect an abundant supply for 
home consumption and all demands for exportation. 

QYP8UM. 

Though no extensive beds of gypsum have been found in Missouri, there are 
vast beds of the pure white crystalline variety on the line of the Kansas 
Pacific railroad, on Kansas river, and on Gypsum creek. It is also found in 
several other localities accessible to St. Louis by both rail and boat, as at Fort 
Dodge in Iowa, and on the Kepublican and Blue rivers in Kansas. 



ST. LOUIS THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 75 



CEMENT. 

All of the limestone formations in the Slate, from the coal measures to the 
fourth magnesian, have more or less strata of very nearly pure carbonate of 
lime, which will consequently make good quick-lime. But few, if any, of the 
States have such an abundance and so general a distribution of this important 
article of domestic use. 

CLAYS, 

Suitable for potters, are worked in many localities in the State. There will be 
no lack of this material. 

Kaolin has been discovered at a few places, and worked at one or two. 

Brick clays have been discovered and worked in nearly all the counties where 
there has been a demand for them. The argillaceous portions of the bluff for- 
mation make good brick, as shown in the brickyards of nearly all the towns oh 
our large rivers where this formation abounds. The brickyards of St. Louis 
are supplied from this source. 

FIRE-BRICK 

Are manufactured from the fire-clays of the lower coal series in St. Louis 
county. These bricks have the reputation of possessing fine refractory prop- 
erties. There are many beds of fire-clay in the coal measures. Some beds of 
the Hudson river group in Ralls and Pike counties, of the Hamilton group in 
Pike and Marion, and of the vermicular sandstone and shales on North river 
seem to possess all the qualities of the very best fire-clays. The quantity of 
these clays is great, almost beyond computation. No possible demand- could 
exhaust it. 

FIRE-ROCK 

Has often been observed. Some of the more silicious beds of the coal measures 
are very refractory, as many have discovered. The upper strata of the ferru- 
ginous sandstones, some arenaceous beds of the encrinital limestone, the upper 
part of the Chouteau limestone, and the fine-grained, impure beds of the mag- 
nesian limestones, all possess qualities which will enable them to withstand the 
action of fire. But the second and third sandstones are the most refractory 
rocks yet examined. They are used in the furnaces at Iron Mountain and 
Pilot Knob. 

PAINT8. 

There are several beds of purple shales in the coal measures which possess 
fehe properties requisite for paints used in outside work. Numbers ton, thirty- 
one, and fifty, of this formation have shades of a bright purple color, and a firm 
texture; but number ten possesses the best qualities. Yellow and rod ochres 
are found in considerable quantities. Some of these paints have been thor- 
enghly tested by the Hon. Goo. S. Park and others, who have found them 
fire-proof and durable. These beds are on the Missouri river. 



76 6T. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



ROAD MATERIALS 



In any desirable quantity may be obtained in the drift formation and in the 
•reeks and rivers of all parts of the State. 

GRANITE. 

There is an abundance of coarse reddish granite in several counties. Some 
of these will make admirable stone for heavy, massive structures. 

SAND8TONES, 

Of various shades of buff, red, and brown, occur in all the geological systems 
of the State. Many of them are firm and durable, and they present colors 
suited to various styles of architecture. 

This brief and general view of the deposits of useful minerals in the country 
tributary to St. Louis shows that Nature has been lavish of the materials 
necessary for tbe growth and stability of a great city. If, in connection with 
these vast and varied mineral products, we take into the view the well-known 
facts that Missouri and the adjacent States possess soils of wonderful fertility, 
and in varieties suited to all the staple crops and fruits of the temperate zone j 
that the whole region is intersected by rivers and creeks, and watered by count- 
less living springs ; that it is groaning beneath boundless forests of nearly every 
variety of the best timber on the continent; that numerous railroads and ten 
thousand miles of river navigation center here; that we are in the great high- 
way of the moving populations of both hemispheres, we shall have more of 
the causes and conditions of growth, wealth, and permanence than havo ever 
surrounded any city of ancient or modern times. 



IRON FURNACES AND MILLS IN MISSOURI, THEIR CAPITAL AND CAPACITY OF 

PRODUCTION. 

Notwithstanding the immense store of mineral deposits in Missouri, art and 
industry have done comparatively little in rendering those mines of wealth 
serviceable to the pooplo of the country. The following statement of facts, as 
given by one of our principal iron merchants, will show what is being done in 
Missouri in the practical development of the iron interest : 

St. Louis, May ?, 1870. 

L. U. Rkayis, Esq.: Below is a list of the furnaces and mills in our State, all of which, with 
the exception of the rail mill about being erected at Carondelet, are or will bo in full blast by June 
next. The rail mill should be completed and finished by December next. The estimate of the 
working capital of the several establishments is my own, and may not be entirely correct 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 77 

CHARCOAL FURNACIS. 

Furnaces. Capital. Capacity, Tons. 

Pilot Knob « „ 2 $1,000,000 12,000 

Iron Mountain 2 1,000,000 12,000 

Irondale - 1 300,000 7,000 

Meramec 1 300,000 6,000 

Scotia .. M 1 250,000 7,000 

Moselle - 1 250,000 6,000 

Total - 8 $3,100,000 60,000 

STONI-COAL AWD COKJt PUBNACES. 

Furnaces. Capital. Capacity, Ton*. 

Kingsland « 2 $250,000 25,000 

Lewis 2 250,000 25,000 

South St. Louis „ 2 250,000 25,000 

Carondelet „. 1 160,000 8,000 

Total -. 7 $900,000 83,000 

BOLLIKQ MILLS. 

Capital. Capacity, Tons. 

Laclede Rolling Mills $500,000 10,000 

Rail Mill, Carondelet. M 500,000 30,000 



Total $1,000,000 40,000 

RECAPITULATION. 

Capital. Capacity, Too* . 

15 furnaces- , $4,000,000 133,000 

Mills 1,000,000 40,000 

TALUM OP PRODUCTS. 

133,000 tons pig iron, at $35 « $4,655,000 

0,000 tons merchant iron, at $85 850,000 

Annual product value— $5,505,000 

I have no means of arriving at the number of men directly employed in the several establish 
ments named, but believe that 2,000 would be a low estimate. 

Yours truly, 

JULES VAT.T.B. 

Since the above note was written, Mr. Valle having stated that the Kingsland 
Iron Company was merged in the Vulcan Iron-works, to make railroad iron, 
and that the capital invested was $1,000,000, and the capacity 40,000 tons of 
rails, this change will therefore increase his previous statement $250,000 in 
capital and 10,000 tons of rails in capacity — leaving the capital of the fifteen 
furnaces at $4,000,000, and increasing the capital of the mills to $1,250,000, 
and the capacity of the mills to 50,000 tons, and the value of rails and mer- 
chant iron, at $85, to $4,250,000; and the value of pig iron being $4,655,000, 
the total value of pig iron, railroad and merchant iron will therefore amount 
to $8,905,000. 



78 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

LEAD. 

An extensive business is carried on, in many parts of the State, in the 
production of lead. Quite a number of furnaces are in active operation, 
which are affording a constant yield for the markets. Although lead mines 
in Missouri have been worked for more than one hundred years, their richness 
is so great that they will afford a profitable field for labor much longer than 
another century. 

ZINC. 

The production of zino in the State is quite recent. Some three or four fine 
mills are now in active use in and around the city, preparing the zinc for 
market. The number will no doubt be increased at an early day. 

PLATE GLASS MANUFACTURE IN ST. LOUIS. 

Among the exhaustless treasures of mineral wealth in Missouri are found, 
in ample abundance, the best materials for the manufacture of plate glass, of 
which there is not a single manufactory in the United States worthy the name, 
to supply the great and increasing demand. A few miles below St. Louis, oh 
the banks of the Mississippi, there is a locality admirably suited for th© 
purpose of making plate glass — an oxhaustless mountain mine of white sand 
of the finest and best quality, at the door of the works, to save the cost of 
cartage. Good coal can be obtained at a short distance, and brought in barges 
to the wharf, which has a frontage of two thousand feet, and deep water. Clay 
for pits, and lime for flues, and other materials, are easily obtainable. Th© 
best grinding sand is found nearly in the river, of which a large quantity is 
used. Fire-brick for the furnaces can be had. A large supply of timber is on 
the premises. The position is one of great centrality and convenience for the 
©onveyance of the glass to market by water. The best manufacturing mill has boon 
provided, and experienced skilled labor has been secured for the erection of 
the works and the successful manufacture of plate glass of the best quality and 
largest dimensions required. The enterprise promises large aud certain profits, 
as the duty on plate glass is sixty per cent, per square foot. Arrangements 
have been made for the immediate organization of a plate glass company, 
under the auspices of public-spirited and influential citizens of St. Louis. It 
will be an honor to this city to have organized and put in successful operation 
the first plate glass manufactory in the United States, and one of the most 
profitable investments in the country, and of permanent value to the property 
of this city. 

MISSOURI TIN. 

The fact of the existence of tin in Missouri is established beyond a question 
or doubt. Very rich lodes and veins are found in Madison county, of this 
State. Small quantities are known to exist in adjoining counties, and, in all 
probability, will be found in other parts of the State when more extensive and 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 79 

accurate geological surveys are made. Tin ore from the Madison county lode 
has been smelted in several instances, and found to be very rich. In several 
cases, the smelting proved tho ore to contain, at the lowest yield, six and 
one-half per cent, of pure tin. Othler smelts, at the same time, yielded eight 
and one half per cent, of pure tin, this being the highest yield. Both together 
make an average yield of seven per cent, pure tin. This is understood to be 
by far the richest yield in the world, and the quantity of ore sufficient to supply 
the world with tin. 

A joint-stock company, with a capital of $200,000, is now organized, under 
the name of the Missouri Tin Company, for the purpose of working the 
mines, and the company will proceed at once to erect furnaces and machineiy, 
for the purpose of smelting tin. This enterprise will, without question, be a 
valuable contribution to the mineral development and industry of the State of 
Missouri. 

VALUABLE STONES. 

Notwithstanding the great variety of valuable stone in the State of Missouri 
for building and finishing purposes, there are but few of them, in comparison 
to the whole, that have entered into serviceable use in the State, and such as 
have, are only used in a too limited extent. It is time this negligent policy 
among our builders and stone-cutters were abolished. Why should we go 
abroad for stone when we cannot surpass in beauty and value that which 
belongs to our own State ? Aside from the many valuable quarries of marble 
and hard and soft stone of the State, which are generally known, we have 
thought proper to mention two or more specimens which are not so well known 
to our citizens, and the use of which is improperly neglected by our builders 
and ornamental stone cutters. There is the 



ROSS-ANTICO MARBLE OP CAPE GIRARDEAU. 

This is a fine specimen, as well as quality, of variegated and somewhat 
chocolate-colored marble. Its texture is fine, and is susceptible of a superior 
polish. Its strength and specific gravity is nearly equal to that of granite. 
It will sustain a pressure of more than fifteen thousand pounds to the cubie 
inch. This valuable stone will supply a great want in our city and State for 
building purposes, as well as for tiling, for tablets, paneling, and various 
ornamental uses about the homes of the wealthy and tasteful of our people. 
Its similarity to the Etruscan highly befits it for such uses, while for monu- 
ments and out-door buildings it will hardly be surpassed in durability, for it 
has already been thoroughly tested by exposure in the cemetery at Cape 
Girardeau. It abounds in large quantities in Cape Girardeau county, and is 
easy of access, and can be put into market without difficulty. The quarry out 
of which this marble is now obtained is in the hands of a company, Colonel 
Charles Durfee & Co., who are making great efforts to bring it into com- 
mercial use 



80 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

ar. LOUIS MARBLE. 

Another fine quality of stone, known as the St. Louis marble, is found in 
great abundance in St. Louis county, about twenty-five miles west of St. Louis, 
near Glencoe station, on the Missouri Pacific railroad. This stone is of a 
beautiful greyish color, of fine texture, and susceptible of fine polish, and is 
known as a species of marble. It is of great strength, and well adapted for 
building purposes, as it weathers well. A company, the Messrs. Terrys, are 
using every effort to bring this valuable stone into market and practical use, 
in supplying a choice material for many of the new buildings of our city. It 
is moro properly defined as a light, variegated, fossiliferous marble. The bed 
is compact, without lines of stratification, and favorable for getting out slabs 
or columns of large dimensions. 

MISSOURI BLUE GRANITE. 

This granite is found in St. Francois county, on the line of the Iron 
Mountain road, at Knob Lick. Its complexion is a hue between the Quincy 
and New Hampshire, and sustains the great pressure of 18,414 pounds to the 
cubic inch. It is remarkably fine-grained and uniform, and will undoubtedly 
be extensively used whore strength and durability are required in building. 

Other valuable marbles are found in different parts of the State, but not 
having the necess-ary facts, a special description of them must be omitted. 

QUEENSWARE. 

It is well known to those familiar with the resources of Missouri, that 
there are to be found in different parts of the State quite a number of the most 
valuable clays used in the manufacture of queensware ; and although no homo 
effort has been made to convert these raw materials into useful articles, large 
quantities have been exported from the State, and made into wares and 
returned to [our market, to be distributed to the trade, which ought to be 
supplied from the hands of our own industry. Kaolin, out of which the finest 
wares are made, is found in Cape Girardeau county in inexhaustible quantities. 
And why it is not converted into wares, of an innumerable variety and value, 
is a standing marvel to those who are familiar with the fact of its existence 
and quality. Why there may not be built a new Staffordshire in that county, 
supplying to the continent wares for every kind of domestic use, we cannot 
understand. Enterprise, capital, and skilled labor must be organized and 
applied. One company is already organizing, and without question will meet 
with great success, but there is room for many more. How often must it be 
published abroad that Missouri has many resources sufficient to supply the 
people of this great valley with many of the most important materials required 
in civilized life? and yet they remain undeveloped. Will those who have 
capital unoccupied accept of the advantages ? Let us have a Staffordshire in 
America, a workshop equal to that of the Old World, whose labor will supply 
valuable wares to the millions of people belonging to those great States which 
surround us. 



8T. LOUIS, TILE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 81 



MISSOURI AS A WINE-PRODUCING STATE. 



BY L. D. MORSE, M.D., 

PRESIDENT MISSISSIPPI VALLEY GRAPE GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 



It is a little over twenty years since grape culture was commenced as a 
business in Missouri, since which it has steadily increased, and rapidly so 
within the latter half of the period. During the last five years the increase 
has been at the rate of about 300 acres per year. Within the period last 
named, several companies have been formed for producing wine on a large 
scale. The Cliff Cave Wine Company, in the south part of St. Louis county, 
has about twenty-five acres of vines, sold a large quantity of grapes last year, 
and made 3,000 gallons of wine. The Augusta Wine Company, of St. Charles 
Gounty, has 22,775 vines, and made last year 8,000 gallons of wine. The 
Bluffton Wine Company, of Montgomery county, has 59,834 vines, and made 
last year from the portion in bearing 13,490 gallons of wine. The Missouri 
Smelting and Mineral Land Company, of Stanton, Franklin county, is engaged 
in grape growing as a portion of its business, and has about seventy acres of 
vines planted, nearly all of which are in bearing this year. 

In addition to the foregoing, we have the American Wine Company, of 
St. Louis, started several years earlier. It does not depend upon raising grapes 
for wine, but buys largely, and claims to have made last year over 100,000 
gallons of still wines, and half a million bottles of champagne. 

The vineyards of the town of Hermann yielded last year over 150,000 gallons 
of wine, and about 85,500 pounds of grapes sold, the total value of both being 
estimated at $157,557. 

In the Eeport of Iho Department of Agriculture for 1868, partial reports from 
nineteen counties are given, the average footing to 1,508. Statistics obtained 
last year by the Mississippi Valley Grape Growers' Association, entirely 
reliable so far as they go, indicate that there are about 3,000 acres of vineyards 
in the State, and the entire value of the grape product of the State this year 
will not be less than $3,000,000. 

SUPERIORITY OP MISSOURI GRAPES AND WINES. 

It is not so much, however, the number of acres planted during the last few 
years, as it is the more or less favorable results from those in bearing, and 
the comparative quality of the fruit and wines produced therefrom, which tend 
to determine the question of superiority of our State above most others. 



82 6T. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

What little statistical information has been gathered thus far on this subject, 
and the very imperfect statements and incorrect figures given in the various 
reports, including that of the U. S. Agricultural Department, make it impossible 
to give reliable comparisons ; but even this last named report shows that the 
average produced per acre in Ohio was 3,7-15 lbs. grapes, or 320 gallons wine j 
it was in Now York 4,571 lbs. grapes, or 416 gallons wine; and in Missouri 
6,900 lbs. grapes, or 483J gallons wine. A more reliable proof of the 
superiority of Missouri's grapes over all others, we find by comparing the 
strength of the must by Oechsle's must-scale, which always comes out in favor 
of Missouri, even against the most celebrated wine localities of the Union. 
This is due to climate and soil. Rev. Chas. Peabody, who has given much 
attention to the investigation of this subject, says : " The two important 
natural conditions demanded by the grape are climate and Boil. Given these 
two, all the rest will eventually follow from the application of the skilled 
industry of the vine-dresser. In this portion of the Valley of the Mississippi, 
we find these two elementary conditions, climate and soil, existing together. 
That the soil and climate of Missouri and the adjacent parts of other States, 
especially those on its eastern and western boundaries (Illinois and Kansas), 
are eminently adapted to the growth of the grape, is a point too well estab- 
lished to need discussion here. The fact is well known and universally 
acknowledged throughout the entire district, and perhaps I may venture to 
add, throughout the United States. Compared with other sections of the 
United States (at least all those east of the Rocky Mountains), so far as their 
capabilities have been tested, our advantages for the production of wine are 
oertainly superior." i 

We have not the space to show by the isothermal lines, ascertained by yeara 
of actual observation, that our mean temperature during the various seasons 
comes nearest to those most celebrated places in Franco where the grape is 
kuown to succeed, and must confine ourselves to but few data, of which the 
following tables, extracted from essays read before the Mississippi Valley 
Grape Growers' Association, will afford a ready comparison : 

p. Aug. Sept. Oct. Av'ge 

dtg. deg. deg. deg. 

CTeyeland „. 70.3 64.0 61.3 G1.68 

Cincinnati 74.2 66.0 53.2 64.47 

St. Louis 76.6 68.7 55.4 66.88 

For the highest development of the wine properties of the grape a mean 
temperature of no less than 65° Fahrenheit is demanded during the season 
of ripening. In the tables above alluded to we find the following: 

, Average o f <, 

April. May July, Aug. 

and June. and Sept. Six months, 

deg. in. deg. in. deg. in. 

Kelly's Island, O., 1867 57.3 3.18 72.0 1.54 64.6 2.38 

St Louis, Mo - 63.7 3.95 76.1 1.65 69.4 2.80 

Marseilles, France 63.4 72.1 67.7 

Besides the high temperature, a diminished rain-fall during the same season 
u essential to the perfection of the grape. Dr. Stay man, of Leavenworth, 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 83 

Kansas, in an able discussion of these meteorological influences, comparing the 
averages of Illinois, Missouri and Kansas with those of New York, New 
Jersey and Pennsylvania, for 1867, finds a difference of 4.14° more heat and 
6.45 inches less rain for the months of July, August and September, and for 
the whole period 7.20° more heat and 10.38 inches less rain in favor of the 
Western States. 

Wherever Missouri wines have been tested, in comparison with those of 
other States, either at home or abroad, they have almost invariably taken the 
highest rank. At the meeting of the American Pomological Society, held in 
St. Louis in September, 1867, there was a large exhibition of American wines, 
including twenty varieties, from various States. The committee on Catawba 
wines, using a scale of 100 to designate degrees of excellence, rated the best 
Missouri sample at 95, and other samples from this State at 90, 84, &c. The 
highest from -any other State was Illinois, 83 ; the best, from Ohio, was rated at 
70. These wore still wines. The sparkling Catawba of the American Wine 
Company, of St. Louis, were rated one and two degrees higher than samples 
from the celebrated Longworth Wine House, of Cincinnati. The committee 
was composed of two gentlemen from Ohio and one from Washington. 

At the Paris Exposition, the American Wine Company's champagne was 
awarded honorable mention, and diploma sent them on account of its fine flavor, 
although the French jurors remarked it had too much of the fruity taste. The 
German jurors, accustomed to wines of high bouquet and flavor, were very 
much pleased with the American wines which possessed these qualities. The 
American committee, consisting of the Hon. Mai'shall P. Wilder, Alexander 
Thompson, William J. Flagg, and Patrick Barry, said : " From what com- 
parison we have been able to make between the better samples of American 
wines, on exhibition at the Paris Exposition, with foreign wines of similar 
character, as well as from the experience of many European wine-tasters, we 
have formed a higher estimate of our own ability to produce good wines than 
wo had heretofore." Wines which have since repeatedly been sent to Germany 
from Missouri have been highly spoken of, and were pronounced very superior 
wines by the best connoisseurs. It is also a notable fact that the trade ia 
native wines has assumed such proportions in St. Louis, that even her 
importei's of foreign wines, who have heretofore strongly disfavored any 
others, feel now compelled to buy and keep always on hand the Catawba, 
Concord, and Norton's Virginia. 

There are several other varieties that are destined to take high rank, but 
have not yet been made in sufficiently large quantities to become well known. 
There are about seventy-five varieties of native grapes in cultivation "and on 
trial in the State. About one-third of this number may be considered as well 
tested, and more or less successful. 

Our Concord wine is becoming more and more popular, and should take the 
place of imported clarets. It suits the uncultivated taste better than either 
claret or Catawba. The Norton's Virginia, as it becomes better known, is 
more and more esteemed for its valuable tonic and astringent qualities. As a 
medicinal vine, it is not excelled probably by any wine, native or imported. 



84 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

Catawba has generally been considered too acid by those unaccustomed to it, 
but it makes an exceedingly wholesome and palatable summer drink, and is 
especially admired in the form of Catawba cobblers. When made into spark- 
ling wine or champagne, it has a very agreeable bouquet, and is preferred by 
those who become accustomed to it to the best imported champagne. It is 
purer, contains less alcohol, and is rapidly superseding them. 

WINE CONDUCIVE TO HEALTH AND TEMPERANCE. 

Taking into consideration the fact that the manufacture of wine is yet jn 
its infancy in this country, the above results indicate that it is rapidly attain- 
ing a prominent place among the leading industrial pursuits, and materially 
aiding the cause of temperance by decreasing the consumption of distilled 
and fortified liquors. On this point an intelligent writer says : 

" Of the good or evil effects of drinking pure wine, Americans have small 
means of judging. The dogmas of total abstinence have been built upon facts 
existing in two countries where pure wine isan almost unknown thing — upon 
British and American facts. Not in France, not in Spain, or Portugal, or Italy, 
or Switzerland, or South Germany, are gathered the awful statistics of the 
temperance lecturer ; but from Britain, from America, and other countries 
where a kind of necessity, or at least a controlling fatality, has led to the 
using as a beverage what in grape-growing countries is hardly known save 
as medicine. 

" The advocates of abstinence, having made out their case against distilled 
spirits, demand judgment against wine also. Having shown that drinking 
whisky or rum tends in a dangerous degree to make men drunkards, they 
jump to the conclusion that wine drinking must also tend in a like degree to 
the same calamitous result. By such reasoners it is assumed : 

" First, that alcohol as found in distilled spirits, and alcohol as found ia 
wine that has not been distilled, exists in both cases under identically the 
same conditions, and has on the drinker the same effects. 

" Secondly, that foreign wines which are usually consumed in America and 
Britain are the same as what the people of the countries which produce them 
drink at home, and the same as what we should drink in case we grew our 
own wines at home. 

u But distilled and undistilled alcohol exist under very different conditions 
and have very different effects. And to reason from Port, Sherry, and Madeira, 
and other liquors that come to us in ships, to the wines that will spring from 
our owp soil, if our vine culture bo blessed, is by no means admissible. SimpU 
alcohol is not a drink at all. It is never taken without a large admixture of 
water, and usually of other substances. Brandy, whisky and rum contain 
nearly as much water as they do of alcohol, even before being diluted for 
drinking; while wine is in its nature a very delicate combination of various 
ingredients, with all of which wo are not yet fully acquainted. Alcohoiie 
drinks, then, being essentially compounds either naturally or artificially 
formed, they cannot be fairly judged without considering tho properties of the 
substances which compose them, the proportions they bear to each other, and 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 85 

tho manner in which they combine. And to assert that the alcohol which 
condenses in the worm of the still from the vapor of boiling wine is the very 
same thing to the drinker of it — to his stomach, brain and nerves — that it 
would have been if it had remained united with all those other constituents, 
with the sugar, acids, tannin, resin, salts and ethers which wore its companions 
in tho vine sap, were elaborated with it in the leaf, and ripened with it in the 
grape, is to say what requires the strongost proof to sustain it. But no such 
proof exists, while the contrary can be abundantly shown." 

As conducive to health, our light wines possess a special value deserving of 
more general appreciation. It has been said, with too much truth, that we are 
a nation of dyspeptics. For the cause of the frequency of dyspepsia, we may 
rationally look to the habit of eating fast, bo4ting the food in a half-masticated 
condition, drinking too largely of water and other liquids, the too common 
use of salt meat, particularly salt fat pork, among the hard-working classes, 
&c. There is a large portion of our population who, although not confirmed 
dyspeptics, are yet persons of feeble digestive powers — a condition sometimes 
brought upon themselves by their own improprieties or bad habits, and quite 
as often inherited from parents, for the progeny of such people are sure to 
inherit the "family failing." Now it generally happens that this class of 
people are under the necessity of accomplishing more work, either bodily or 
mental, than they are physically capable of doing without loss of vigor. Their 
powers of assimilation are unequal to the task of appropriating of each meal 
sufficient to meet the interstitial destruction or necessary outgoings of the 
system. Hence, they are always overworked, and live a life of fatigue. Their 
muscles are soft and flabby, and their vessels deficient in tonicity. They are 
liable to disease from various causes; the circulation in the extreme vessels 
being weak, they are unable to resist the effects of cold, and are hence liable 
to congestions. They have no power to resist malaria or contagious diseases. 
Under a feeling of relaxation and fatigue, they often resort to distilled spirits 
to their injury. 

It is certain that the habitual daily use of a small allowance of such a 
stimulus as our pure wines afford, would bestow upon such persons the nervous 
energy necessary to enable them to digest more food — to economize the waste 
of the system — to perform the duties of life with more ease and comfort, and 
would make them more useful members of society instead of the mere drones 
they often are and must continue to be under a total abstinence regimen. It 
would also better enable them to resist disease, which is an important con- 
sideration in malarious districts. Whon moderately taken with a regular 
meal, the small amount of stimulus contained in the light wines is very little 
felt; no unnatural appetite is created for such stimulus, but rather a feeling of 
satiety is produced, digestion is aided, the wants of the system are better 
supplied, and there is less inclination or craving for stimulus between meals. 
This would be particularly the case with the class referred to, who need u wine 
for tho stomach's sake." As wine would enablo the body to appropriate more 
food and gain strength, the feeling of fatigue, with the instinctive craving for 
stimulus, would be removed. 

While people continue to drink for the sake of drinking, by all moans give 
them the least dangerous article. Let it bo more abundant and cheaper than 
the more fiery and maddening compounds. 

Note. — Tho American Wine Company has made during the present year 100,000 gallons of 
wine, and from the vintage of 1870 will put up about 750,000 bottles of Imperial champagne. 
The increased production by other companies furnishes the most favorable showing, for the rapid 
growth and increase of the grape and wine business of tho State of Missour" 



86 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GKEAT CITY. 



THE CIVIL AND INDUSTRIAL MISSION OF THE 
AMERICAN PEOPLE. 



I feel more deeply than ever before, that there is nothing in human history which can 
compare in interest with the condition of the American continent on the eve of its discovery 
and colonization, and its transition into the sphere of civilized and Christian culture, looking back 
from our present point of view upon the various stages of this transition, as one great operation in 
the order of Providence. 

Consider it a moment : there it lay upon the surface of the globe, a hemisphere unknown to 
the rest of the world, in all it3 vast extent, with all its boundless undeveloped resources, not seen 
as yet by the eye of civilized men, unpossessed but by the simple childrer. of the forest. There 
stretched the iron chain of its mountain barriers, not vet the boundary of political communities ; 
there rolled its mighty rivers unprofitably to the sea ; there spread out the measureless but as yet 
wasteful fertility of its uncultivated fields ; there towered the gloomy majesty of its unsubdued 
primeval forests ; there glittered in the secret caves of the earth the priceless treasures of its 
unsunned gold ; and more than all that pertains to material wealth, there existed the undeveloped 
capacity of a hundred embryo States ; of an imperial confederacy of republics, the future abode 
of intelligent millions, unrevealed as yet to the "earnest" but unconscious "expectation " of the 
elder families of man, darkly hid by the impenetrable veil of waters. There is to my mind an 
overwhelming sadness in this long insulation of America from the brotherhood of humanity, not 
inappropriately reflected in the melancholy expression of the native races. The boldest keels of 
Phoenicia and "Carthage had not approached its shores. From the footsteps of the ancient nations 
along the highways of time and fortune — the embattled millions of the old Asiatic despotisms, 
the iron phalanx of Macedonia, the living crushing machinery of the Roman legion, which ground 
the world to powder — the heavy tramp of barbarous nations from "the populous north ;" not the 
faintest echo had aroused the slumbering West in the cradle of her existence. Not a thrill of 
sympathy had shot across the Atlantic from the heroic adventure, the intellectual and artistic 
vitality, the convulsive struggles for freedom, the calamitous downfalls of empire, and the strange 
new regenerations which fill the pages of ancient and mediaeval history. Alike when the Oriental 
myriads, Assyrian, Chaldean, Median, Persian, Bactrian, from the snows of Syria to the Gulf of 
Ormus, from the Halys to the Indus, poured like a deluge upon Greece, and beat themselves to 
idle foam on the sea-girt rock of Salamisand the lowly plain of Marathon; when all the kingdoms 
of the earth went down with her own liberties, in Rome's imperial maelstrom of blood and fire, 
and when the banded powers of the West, beneath the ensign of the cross — as the pendulum of 
conquest swung backward — marched in scarcely intermitted procession for three centuries to the 
subjugation of Palestine — the American continent lay undiscovered, lonely and waste. That 
mighty action and reaction upon each other of Europe and America — the grand systole and 
diastole of the heart of the nations — and which now constitutes so much of the organized life of 
both, had not yet begun to pulsate. The unconscious child and heir of the ages lay, wrapped in 
the mantle of futurity, upon the broad and nurturing bosom of Divine Providence, and slumbered 
serenely, like the infant of Danae, through the storms of fifty centuries. — Edward Evkrett. 

Ninety-four years ago — when the fifty-two signers of the Declaration of 
Independence, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude 
of their intentions, declared that the united colonies are, and of right ought to 
be, free and independent States — but few of the most sanguine of that day 
dreamed of the extent and greatness which this country would attain in the 
comparatively brief space of a century. But before our Independence was 
achieved, the thought of continental empire had already entered the minds of 
many far-seeing persons in this and other lands. " Prophetic Voices about 
America" were not wanting in numbers to foretell the triumphs of that spirit 
of adventure which, in the fifteenth century, carried Vasco di Gama around th« 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 87 

Capo of Good Hope, and Columbus to America. Even the age seemed to be 
instinctive with a better life, and prophets of one land and heroes of another 
were unqualifiedly pointing to America as the place for the future empire of 
the world. 

As early as 1755, John Adams, but twenty years old, and the future states- 
man of Massachusetts, wrote to a friend in the following words: "Soon after 
the reformation a few people came over into this new world for conscience 
sake. Perhaps this apparently trivial incident may transfer the great seat of 
empire into America. It luoks likely to me ; for if we can remove the turbulent 
Gallics, our people, according to the most exact computations, will in another 
eentury become more numerous than in England itself. Should this be the 
case, since we have, I may say, all the naval stores of the nation in our hands, 
it will be easy to obtain a mastery of the seas, and the united force of all 
Europe will not be able to subdue us." 

This was the expression of a young school-teacher twenty-one years before 
the Declaration of Independence was made by the colonies. John Adams 
lived to see a system of government founded which, with broad and compre- 
hensive policies, was destined to bring forth upon the American continent a 
nation of grander proportions and greater triumphs in civilization than his 
most enlarged understanding could comprehend. 

His son, John Quincy Adams, at a later day, remarked of his father's letter : 
" Had the political part of it been written by the minister of state of a 
European monarchy, at the close of a long life spent in the government of 
nations, it would have been pronounced worthy of the unitod wisdom of a 
Burleigh, a Sully, or an Oxenstiern. In one bold outline he has exhibited by 
anticipation a long succession of prophetic history, the fulfillment of which is barely 
yet in progress, responding exactly hitherto to his foresight, but the full accom- 
plishment of which is reserved for after ages." 

Next to John Adams stands Mr. Jefferson, with clear conceptions of the 
future of the American nation. Soon after the treaty with the Kaskaskia 
Indians, by which was acquired a broad belt of territory extending from the 
mouth of the Illinois river to and up the Ohio, Mr. Jefferson first began to look 
with serious consideration to the future greatness of the nation ; and that 
treaty, together with the Louisiana purchase, led him to say that he " would 
not give one inch of the waters of the Mississippi river to any nation." And 
with prophetic conception he was again led to say: '* When we shall be full on 
this side the Mississippi river we may lay off a range of States on the western 
bank, from the head to the mouth, and so, range after range, advancing com- 
pactly a3 we multiply." 

In addition to the Louisiana purchase, Texas was annexod in 1845. New 
Mexico, California, and all the territory between the Mississippi river and the 
Pacific ocean has been added within tbe present century; and in rapid suc- 
cession has State after State come into the Union, and the telegraph, the 
railroad, the steamboat, the printing-press, and the school-house, have followed 
on in this great march of empire, and taken the place of the Indian trail, 
the wigwam, the hunting-ground, and the home of the buffalo. 



88 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

Turn which way we will, upon this u vast, wide continent," and we see the 
chain of empire being made complete under one all-embracing Constitution. 
Climates of every character, minerals of every quality and value, rivers 
stretching in great lengths and uniting every zone, all combine to give greatness 
and destiny to this nation, made of the wisdom and excellences of all nations, 
and this people, made of the commingled and regenerated blood of all people. 
Sublime thought I Grandest and broadest of our age; that which energizes the 
individual and regales the future with royal promise. 

At the beginning there were thirteen spai'sely populated colonies; now we 
have thirty-seven powerful States, and ten large Territories on the threshold 
of membership. The following statistics, showing the means and degrees by 
which the great Empire of the "West has been regarded, will be read with 
thrilling interest by every American citizen : 

New States and Territories — "When Admitted. — Under President Wash- 
ington's administration, the following new States were admitted : Vermont, in 
the year 1791; Kentucky, in 1791; Tennessee, in 1796. 

Under President Jefferson's administration, the following new States and 
Territories were added to the Union : Ohio, in the year 1802 ; Louisiana, 
purchased in 1804. This purchase contained space enough for fifty new States. 
It gave to the United States the entire control of the Mississippi, the outlets 
of which had hitherto been in the hands of a foreign power. Territorial gov- 
ernments were organized in Mississippi, Indiana and Louisiana. 

Under President Madison's administration, the following addition was made 
to the Union : Indiana, in the year 1816. 

During the administration of President Monroe, the following States were 
added to the Union : Mississippi, in the year 1817 ; Illinois, in 1818 ; Missouri, 
in 1821 ; Maine, in 1820 ; Florida, purchased in 1821. 

Under the administration of President Jackson, the following States were 
admitted : Michigan, in the year 1837 ; Arkansas, in 1836. 

During the administration of President Polk, the following new States were 
admitted : Texas, in the year 1845 ; Iowa, in 1845 ; Florida, in 1845 ; Wisconsin, 
in 1817 ; California, New Mexico and Utah were bought. 

Under the administrations of Presidents Taylor and Fillmore, the following 
State was admitted : California, in the year 1850. The following new Territories 
were organized : New Mexico and Utah, in the year 1850 ; Washington in 1853. 

Under President Pierce's administration, Arizona was purchased. 

Under the administration of President Buchanan, the following States were 
admittod : Minnesota, in the year 1857; Oregon, in 1859; Kansas, in 1861; 
Dakotah Territory organized in 1861. 

During the administration of President Lincoln, the following States were 
admitted: West Virginia, in the year 1862; Nevada, in 1864. The following 
Territories wore also organized: Arizona, in the year 1863; Idaho, in 1863; 
Montana, in 1864. 

Undor the administration of President Johnson, the Territory of Wyoming 
was organized in. 1868; Northwestern America, or Alaska, was purchased, by 
treaty of May 28, in the year 1867. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 89 

Thus stands the record to-day of the American nation, with a population 
running from 3,000,000 in the year 1776, up to 42,000,000 in the year 1870. 
Our commerce, in the year 1791, was valued at $52,000,000 imports and 
$19,000,000 exports. Now the imports of merchandise to our country are, at 
gold value, $286,519,344, and our national wealth estimated at $23,400,000,000, 
at an annual increase of $921,700,000. 

Our principal agricultural products are estimated at $3,282,950,000, and our 
entire industrial resources are valued at $4,223,000,000. 

How marvelous the progress of our people ! and with us, instead of colonies 
as with Britain, we acquire strength and greatness by effacing the boundary 
lines of conterminous countries by treat}*, and absorb the new regions into the 
Federal family, thereby consolidating whenever we extend our national domain 
and power. Turning, then, from the mightiness of the American nation at the 
present time, and looking forward to the future, we are to inquire what will be 
its civil mission, and what the industrial career of its people. What are to be 
the future honors and the glory of the Eepublic? Over what lands is her flag 
yet to float ? To what people are her laws yet to give protection ? What 
grand victories is she yet to achieve in the future empire of the world ? These 
are questions now being inspired by the loftiest patriotism of the American 
statesman, and everywhere is growing up in the hearts of the people the 
thought of a transcendent national destiny for the great Eepublic of the world. 

But before we consider this branch of the subject, let us consider the essential 
industrial mission of our people, their future commerce, their accumulation of 
wealth, and their future great field of labor. These things are held as being 
pertinent to the subject of the future great city of the world. 

It is ah-eady evident that the industrial mission of our people will, at least, 
be continental ; that, since the landing of the Pilgrims upon the narrow belt of 
the Atlantic, and their career in that land which De Tocqueville called an 
'■inhospitable clime," there has been one steady march of the American people 
from the Atlantic toward the Pacific. Commerce was the incentive that urged 
on the civil conquest of the continent; that spread the fleet of boats upon our 
Western waters, directed the ships around Cape Horn and to our Pacific coast, 
and drove the hundreds of thousands of wagons across the arid plains of our 
continent. 

The civil conquest of our own land is about to be accomplished by the 
meeting of the Eastern and Western columns of American civilization in the 
central plain of the continent, and the advance of the North and South flanking 
eolumns, which are now rapidly tending to the center. But this civil conquest 
accomplished, what remains for the restless, pioneering, and homeless Americans 
to do ? They cannot sta}- within the boundary lines of our great Eepublic when 
other lands furnish a field for adventure, speculation, and skill. Then it is we 
are to look beyond to the higher aspects of the industrial mission of our people. 
To our continent belong five systems of water navigation : First, the Atlantic 
Ocean system ; second, the Eiver system ; third, the Lake system ; fourth, the 
Gulf system; and fifth, the Pacific Ocean system. The canal system is only 
auxiliary. Nature gave these systems. 



90 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY 

After them comes a mightier system of commercial facilities — the railways 
civilization has given to man. This system supersedes oceans, lakes and 
rivers and this system must control, in the future, the higher commercial and 
industrial destines of all people; while the ocean systems of commerce are 
destined to become the most obsolete of all these facilities afforded to man. Of 
the five water systems of navigation belonging to our continent, the river 
system is by far the most valuable, and, with the Gulf, is destined to control 
the foreign commerce of our continent; and both, united to our railway 
system, fix the industrial mission of our people henceforth to the far-off years 
of the future. 

Civilization is rapidly reversing the order of nature. To the barbarian and 
semi-barbarian nations, the oceans were facilities for exchanging their com- 
merce, the land an obstacle ; but civilization is about to reverse the order, and 
transform the land into a facility and the oceans into obstacles. The car will 
take the place of the ship, and the land of the ocean, and commerce will find 
its goal in continental development; and not, as heretofore, beyond distant 
oceans and among the islands of the sea. The railway systems of continents 
and the world are soon to be the gi*eat rule of commerce, while ships will be 
the exception. Already the maritime nations of the earth foresee their doom 
in the coming reversal of the order of things, and are struggling to hold the 
seas supreme over the land, the ships over the cars ; hence their aggressions 
upon the land in their haste to sever continents, that the ships may pass 
through and speed on to the uttermost parts of the earth. 

But before we further consider the railway system as destined to control 
and direct the future industry of the world, let us go back and consider for one 
moment the commerce of the globe, which the nations are now striving 
to control. Since the discovery of America, perhaps there has been no 
artificial improvement to which so much importance has been attached in its 
bearing upon the future commerce of the world as the construction of the 
Pacific railway, and no man better vindicated the importance of such a facility 
across the continent than the Hon. Thomas H. Benton, in the many speeches 
he made from time to time in favor of its construction, and from one we make 
the following pointed quotation touching the great importance of the road in 
its bearing upon the commerce of the world. Hear his plea: "I enforce 
another advantage, not so immediate, but obvious to the thinking mind, and 
important to America, Europe, and Asia; and which, in changing a channel of 
rich commerce, may have its effect upon the wealth and power of nations, and 
operate a change in the maritime branch of national wai\s. I allude to the East 
India trade, already incidentally touched upon, and the change of its channel 
from the water to the land, and the effect of that change in nullifying the 
maritime supremacy of naval powers by making continents, instead of oceans, 
the great theaters of international commerce. No events in the history of 
nations have had a greater effect on the relative wealth and power of nations 
than the changes which have been going on for near threo thousand years in 
the channels of Asiatic commerce. During that time nations have risen and 
fallen, as they possessed or lost that commerce. Events announce the forth- 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 91 

coming of a new change. The land becoming a facility and the ocean an 
obstacle to foreign trade, must have an effect upon Europe, conterminous upon 
Asia, aud upon America, separated from it by a western sea over which no 
European power can dominate. I confine myself to the American branch of 
the question, and glance at the past to get an insight into the future. I look 
to former channels of this Asiatic commerce — their changes, the effects of the 
changes — and infer from what has been, what maj T be — from what is, to what 
will be. 

"I. The Phoenician Route. — Tyre, queen of cities, was its first emporium. 
The commerce of the East centered there before the captivity of the Jews in 
Bab}don, upwards of six hundred years before the coming of Christ. Nebuchad- 
nezzar, King of Babylon, conquered Tyre and razed it to its foundations ; but he 
was no statesman — merely a destroyer — and did not found a rival city; and 
the continuance of the India trade quickly restored the queen of cities to all 
her former degree of prominence and power. Alexander the Great conquered 
her again. He was a statesman, and knew how to build up, as well as how to 
pull down, and looked to commerce for exalting and enriching that magnificent 
empire which his war genius was conquering. He founded a rival city on the 
coast of Egypt, better adapted to the trade; and the prophecy of Ezekiel 
became fulfilled on Tyre : she became a place for fishermen to dry their nets. 

"II. The Jewish Route. — In the time of Solomon and David, the Jews 
succeeded to the East India trado, made it a leading subject of their policy, and 
became rich and powerful upon it. Jerusalem rivaled Nineveh and Babylon; 
and Palmyra, a mere thoroughfare in the trade in the midst of a desert, became 
the seat of power and opulence, of oriental magnificence, and the center of the 
arts and sciences. The Jews lost that trade, and Jerusalem became as a widow 
in the wilderness, and Palmyra a den for foxes and Arabs. 

"III. The Alexandrian Route. — This was opened by Alexander the Great; 
its course along the canal of Alexandria to the Nile, up that river to Coptus ; 
thence across the desert with camels to the Dead Sea, and down that sea to 
the neighboring coasts of Asia and Africa — a route chosen with so much 
judgment that it made Alexandria and Egypt the seats of wealth, power, 
learning, the arts and sciences, and continued to be the channel of trade for a 
period of eighteen hundred years — from three hundred years before Christ to 
the close of the fifteenth century — when the Portuguese discovery of the passage 
by the Cape of Good Hope annihilated the Egyptian route, and transferred to 
Lisbon the glories of Alexandria. But not without a great contest. Solyman 
the Magnificent, then Sultan of the Turkish Empire, fought the Portuguese for 
the dominion of routes — carried on long and bloody wars to break up the Cape 
of Good Hope l-oute, assisted by the Yenetians, because of their interest in the 
Egyptian route, and menacing Christendom — this alliance of Christian and 
Saracen against Christians — according to the Abbe Raynal, indorsed by the 
philosophic historian Robertson, with the 'most illiberal and humiliating servi- 
tude that ever oppressed polished nations.' From this calamity Christendom 
was saved by the valor of the Portuguese and the talents of their renowned 
commander, Albuquerque; but the contest shows the value which all nations 



92 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

placed on the possession of this trade, and the reversed conditions of Alex- 
andria and Lisbon, of Egypt and Portugal, upon the defeat of the Turks and 
Venetians, shows that that value was not ever-estimated. 

"IV. The Constantinoplitan Route. — This became fully established in the 
time of the Greek Empire, and during the two hundred years of the Crusade 
irruptions, and to which the enlightened part of the Crusaders greatly contrib- 
uted. For, while a religious frenzy operated upon the masses, the extension 
of their trade with India was the systematic, persevering, and successful policy 
of all liberal and enlightened minds, availing themselves of that frenzy to 
promote and establish the commerce upon the possession of which the suprem- 
acy of nations depended. It was fully established j and the long and tedious 
transit across the Black Sea to the mouth of the Phases, up that river to a 
portage of five days to the Cyrus, down that river to the Caspian Sea, across it 
to the mouth of the Oxus, up it nine hundred miles to Samarcand, once Alex- 
andria, the limit of Alexander's march to the northeast ; and after this long 
travel, an overland journey of ninety days on the Bactrian camel to the confines 
of China, commenced. Such was this extended route. Yet it was upon this 
route, so extended and perilous, that Europe was supplied with East India 
goods for several centuries ; the profits of the trade being so great that after 
its arrival at Constantinople, it could still come on to Italy, and even round to 
Bruges (Brussels) and to Antwerp. It was upon this route that the Genoese 
'.ished their great commerce, gaining permanent establishments with great 
privileges at Constantinople (its suburb Pera) and in that Crimea, then 
resplendent with wealth, since impoverished, now the scene of bloody strife ; 
and of which the issue would be fortunate, if it restored the Crimea to what it 
was when Caffa was as celebrated as Sebastopol is now, and celebrated for 
streams of commerce instead of streams of blood. But to this route of Con- 
stantinople the Cape of Good Hope passage became as fatal as it was to that 
of Alexandria. 

u Y. The Ocean Route. — It has been the line of the East India trade since the 
close of the fifteenth century, and must have continued to be so forever if a 
marvel had not been wrought, and the land become the facility — the ocean the 
obstacle — to commerce. All the powers that have land for distant communi- 
cations must now betake themselves to the steam car. Why contend with ships 
for the dominion of tho sea, when both the ships and the sea are to be super- 
seded ? Take the case of Eussia. She has been one hundred and fifty years 
building up a navy — to become useless the first day it is wanted Not only 
useless, but an encumbrance and a burden, requiring impregnable posts, and 
vast armies, and murderous battles to protect and save it — save it from going to 
swell the enemy's fleet, and be turned against its builders. Why build any 
more ships when there is the land to carry commerce, without protection, to 
every part of Europe, and to America by Behring's Straits, rendering fleets 
inoperative and harmless? But I confine myself to our own commerce and 
our own land. There is the road to India, pointing west, half the way upon 
our own land, and the rest upon a peaceable sea washing our shores, but 
separated from Europe by the whole diameter of the earth. Can we not cease 



5T. LOUIS. THE FUTURE GREAT COT. 93 

wrangling over an odious subject of domestic contention, and go to work npon 
the road which is to exalt us to the highest rank among nations, and make us 
mistress of the richest gem in the diadem of commerce ? Can we not 
contention, and seize the supreme prize which is glittering before us? Make 
the road ; and, in its making, make our America the thoroughfare of Orient 
commerce — kh .;pe and the Hern ro . rhat Tyre became 

when Alexandria was founded, and what Alexandria became when the Cape of 
Good Hope was doubled, making Europe submissive and tributary to us for a 
transit upon this route, and dispensing us from the maintenance of the II 
which the ocean commerce demands for its protection." 

The railway is built, and what in Benton's day was an extended wilderness 
of country, from the Mississippi river to the Pacific ocean, is nc - and 

populous Territories, with rapidly growing cities, rich in wealth. Yet the 
road is not the wonderful thoroughfare for the commerce of distant nations 
that earlier enterprise anticipated. INor will it ever be. Every foot of railway 
built the more and more confirms the continental destiny of the American 
people ; and by the business of this road being absorbed by the local int- 
of the people at each end and along its line, and the failure to revolutionize 
the commerce of the world, the spirit of adventure has gone again to the 
oceau. and seeks new channels through the isthmuses of Suez and Darien. Bv 
these highways the commerce of the world is again sought to be controlled. 
In this contest America again has the advantage, in climate ocean and distance, 
as the following testimony of Mr. Xourse, of the United 51 - rn in 

his pamphlet on the Maritime Canal of Sutz, will assure: "for while Suez is 
the center of the old continent, Darien is the center of the great ocean — the 
Atlantic-Pacific of the water as well as of the land of our globe. For this 
fact is to be remembered — 

•• From the Gulf of Mexico all the great commercial markets of the world 
are down hill. A vessel bound from that Gulf to Europe places herself in the 
current of the Gulf Stream and drifts along with it at the rate, for part of the 
way, of eighty or a hundred miles a day. If her destination be Rio or India, 
or California, her course is the same as far north as the island of Bermuda. 

••And when there shall I -hed a commercial thoroughfare across the 

Isthmus, the trade winds of the Pacific will place China, India, Xew Holland, 
and all the islands of that ocean, down hill also from this sea of ours. In that 
case Europe must pass: by our very doors on the great highway to the ma 
both of the East and the West Indies. This beautiful Mesopotamian sea is in 
a position to occupy the s* ..vibration, and to become the g 

commercial receptacle of the world. Our rivers run into it, an i.^wn 

with their currents th; articles of merchandise that are produced upon 

their banks. Arrived with them upon the bosom of this grand marine basin, 
the^e are the currents of the sea and the winds of heaven, so arran_- ,.:ure 

that they drift it and waft it down hill and down stream to the great market- 
places of the world." 



94 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



THE ISTHMUS OF SUEZ COMPARED WITH THAT OF DARIEN. 

Before takiDg up our journey, then, to Suez, let us look for a moment at the 
two isthmuses, side b} r side. Whoever casts the eye on a map of the great 
continents will hardly fail to mark some striking peculiarities common to both. 
One of these is the peninsular form of each, and its tending southward, either 
in a mass, as Africa and South America, or in broken peninsulas, as Southern 
Asia and Europe. A second peculiarity is the existence of island groups on the 
right hand of the southern limits of each continent ; as the West Indies and the 
Falkland group, southeast of America and Australasia, southeast of the various 
peninsulas into which Asia is broken. A third and equally noticeable common 
mark appears in that narrow neck of land which, in each continent, joins the 
land masses and separates great seas — the two isthmuses which we are con- 
sidering. In the Eastern hemisphere, the land mass of Asia and Europe is thus 
joined to Africa by a neck of less than a hundred miles in extent. In the West, 
the great American Isthmus — of about fourteen hundred miles in its full extent 
from Tehauntepec to the Atrato river — at one point nai-rows itself to even a 
less breadth than Suez. In the country of Darien proper it is scarcely more 
than thirty miles wide. And this further point of interest may be again noted 
on the world-map, that the Isthmus of Suez is but the center of the old conti- 
nents, Asia, Europe, and Africa, while the American Isthmus is the center of 
oceans as well as of countries. The commercial value of this will be seen at a 
glance, and it belongs to the Isthmus of Darien. • 

The chief practical point of difference, in considering the American Isthmus 
and the African, with the view of opening up communication across each, is 
their opposite geological formation. Suez is an arid, sandy, longitudinal depres- 
sion, of which more than one-half is on a level with or below the Red Sea and 
the Mediterranean. The American Isthmus strikingly contrasts itself, in its 
being chiefly a ridge of the Great Cordilleras. Its counter-slope toward the 
Pacific is not in most places found to be extended. To cross the Isthmus of 
Suez is to encounter its drift sands, but scarcely an elevation whose mean 
height is above fifty feet. To cross Central America is to encounter, in Hon- 
duras, elevations of at least two thousand nine hundred feet; or, in Panama^ 
the line of the lowest level as yet found, with any certainty, elevations from 
four hundred and fifty to two hundred and seventy feet. The summit ridge, 
on the Panama railroad, is two hundred and eighty-seven feet above the mean 
tide-level of the Atlantic. 

The contrast between the two isthmuses is as marked from a historic point 
of view. Suez has witnessed the tramp of many armies, and the noise of busy 
trade around cities now wholly lost beneath the sands. The narrow neck of 
Darien has scarcely a historic record. M. de Lesseps, the engineer of the Suez 
canal, remarks : "We cannot approach history without touching upon Suez; 
the Bible gives its early record; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the patriarchs, 
crossed it; Moses was rescued from a branch of the Nile running through it. 
Afterward the third station of his rescued people was Ethan, which still keeps 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 95 

its name. ' Pihahiroth,' one of their encampments, meaning in Hebrew the 
' Bay of Keeds,' has its name preserved by the Arabs in the track near Lake 
Timsah. Tradition points to the same locality as a resting-place for the Holy 
Family when fleeing from Herod. The Persians fought upon the plains around 
Pelusium, near the modern Port Said. Alexander's troops thronged the isth- 
mus ; Caesar disembarked on this coast ; Pompey was there assassinated." 

Alongside of such a record the American Isthmus has, as yet, but little to 
show ; but little of any record of the races within it before the Spanish occu- 
pancy, and but little even since that date except the heroic crossing of Balboa, 
the murderous visits of the Buccaneers, and the struggle for colonization by 
such noble men as Paterson and Campbell. Yet may not this isthmus, when 
she shall have become the highway of nations, more than compensate for the 
past by her greater instrumentality in promoting peaceful intercourse, in civil- 
izing and christianizing her neighboring districts and the East ? There seems 
surely a common point as regards both isthmuses, vital^ affecting the future 
of each hemisphere, centering in the opening up of world-intercourse across 
each. There seems also some natural indications that each will permit such 
opening. Their very narrowness suggests it. 

Certainly the great interests of civilization loudly call for such open and easy 
intercourse. For to say that these narrow necks join two land masses is to use 
language commonly held and expressive of a physical or geological fact. But, 
commercially, the opposite is true. They separate men. They are the bar to 
the world's trade, and to the fuller extending of the accompanying blessings of 
oivilization. 

The Isthmus of Darien, now crossed by the Panama railroad, proves, by her 
busy throng from the two sides of the great Pacific and from distant New 
Zealand and Australia, what she will be, and what more successfully she can do 
for humanity, when a yet readier water passage shall be opened. 

Tbe Isthmus of Suez, until fully opened for heavy freighting, will continue to 
make necessary the hundred-day voyage around the stormy cape. For, how- 
ever readily the traveler bears the heavy expense of a shorter overland route 
by the railroad from Alexandria to the Eed Sea, the freights of commerce bear 
neither this nor the yet greater disadvantages of transhipments. The bulk of 
trade still follows the route discovered nearly four centuries ago. It awaits the 
completion in full of the maritime canal which shall in fact join Asia to Africa 
and to Europe. Let us compare two distance-saving tables on this point. 



96 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



Distance-saving Tables, or Comparison op Routes, (A) by Suez Canal with 
Eoute by Cape op Good Hope, (B) by Darien Canal with Route by 
Cape Horn. 

The distances are in most cases taken either from a table prepared by the 
Bureau of Navigation, Navy Department ; or from Berghaus' Chart, or the 
tables of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. 

A. — Table of the Saving in Distances for Trade passing through the Suez Cana 
to Bombay, a central point in the Indian Ocean. 



PORTS. 



^3 






^ S3 






^k^ ©: 



5 o 



**■ 



1 S> 






9>S 



St. Petersburg. 

Amsterdam 

Liverpool 

London , 

Cadiz 

Lisbon , 

Havre 

Marseilles 

Trieste 

Constantinople 

New York 

New Orleans.... 



6,550 
5.950 
5,900 
5,950 
5,200 
5,350 
5,800 
5,650 
5,960 
6,100 
6,200 
6,450 



3,700 
3,100 
3,050 
3,100 
2,224 
2,500 
2,824 
2,374 
2,340 
1,800 
3,761 
3,724 



2,850 
2,850 
2.850 
2,850 
2,976 
2,850 
2,976 
3,276 
3,620 
4,300 
2,439 
2,720 



111 

100 

100 

100 

88 

90 

98 

95 

100 

103 

104 

109 



62| 

52 

52 

52 

37| 

42 

4S 

40 

39i 

30i 

63 

63 



(a) The saving between London and the ports on the east coast of Asia may 
be stated at about 4,800 miles ; the saving from London to Melbourne, Aus- 
tralia, at about 3,000 miles. 

(6) Lesseps, in his original memoir (1855), estimates the saving between the 
East and West to be an average of 3,000 leagues. 

(c) The French engineers, in 1801, estimated that the Suez Canal would save 
one-third of the distance and one-fifth of the time in navigating from France 
to India. 

(d) The saving between England and India may be stated at 49 per cent, j 
between France, Southern Russia, Italy, Greece, and Turkey, at 52 per cent. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



97 



B. — Table showing the Saving in Distance for Trade passing through the 

Darien Canal. 



PORTS. 



By Cape 
Horn. 



By Darien 
Canal. 



03 



New York to Valparaiso 

Liverpool to Valparaiso 

New York to Callao 

Liverpool to Callao 

New York to Honolulu 

Liverpool to Honolulu 

New York to San Francisco • 

Liverpool to San Francisco 

New York to Jeddo 

New York to Shanghai 

New York to Hong Kong 

New York to Hong Kong by Cape of Good Hope. 

New York to Melbourne 

Liverpool to Melbourne 

New York to Sydney 

Liverpool to Sydney , 

Havre to San Francisco 



720 
100 
020 
400 
530 
780 
610 
665 
700 
500 
420 
015 
720 
350 
870 
,850 
,640 



4,800 

7,500 

3,550 

6,200 

6,850 

9,500 

5,310 

7,960 

10,200 

11,100 

11,850 

10,400 
12,600 

9,950 
12,400 

7,900 



3,920 
1,600 
6,170 
4,200 
6,280 
4,280 
8,300 
6,705 
6,500 
3,400 
5,570 

2,320 
750 

2,920 
450 

5,740 



Those estimates, which are best understood by having the eye either on a 
globe, or upon the world, on Mercator's projection, will suffice at present as 
points of comparison in proof of the interest which for so many years has held 
many of the ablest minds to the problem of canalizing both isthmuses Among 
these the late Henry Wheaton, United States Minister to the Court of Berlin 
in 1845, deserves high place. In the midst of his official duties he found time 
for the study of the subject in its widest range, and addressed an elaborate 
dispatch to our Secretary of State, discussing with marked ability the canalizing 
of each of the isthmuses, and developing the results to be expected therefrom. 
This was before the foundation of the Pacific States had been laid. (See 
Lawrence's foot-notes, Wheaton's International Law, and Ex. Doc. 29th Con- 
gress, 21st session.) 

The following additional tables, kindly furnished by Mr. F. A. Walker, Chief 
of the Statistical Bureau, United States Treasury Department, will be found in 
place here. 

(A corresponding table made by the friends of the Suez Canal would claim, 
in brief, an annual tonnage of 6,000,000, from almost the outset of the opening 
of navigation, with a steady increase.) 



98 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

Table showing the Trade of England that would pass through the Darien Canal 
if now finished, taken from the Official Returns for the year 1867. 

Countries Traded with. Exports and Imports. Tonnage. 

Half of Mexico $3,014.00-3 22,401 

Half of Central America 2,642,650 7,652 

Half of New Granada 8,613,995 11,019 

Chili 35,004,090 220,771 

Peru ~ .. 25,926,110 209,401 

Ecuador 775,715 2,725 

China 85,975,900 197,288 

Java 6,812,765 30.703 

Singapore 17,813,505 123,438 

Australia and New Zealand 07.475,780 264,815 

Islands of the Pacific 236,730 2,762 

California 14,239,970 127,036 

$268,531,115 1,219,762 

Value of ships, $50 per ton 60,988,100 

Total value $329,519,215 

Table showing the Trade of France that would pass through the Darien Canal 
if now finished, taken from the Official Returns for the year 1865. 

Countries Traded with. Exports and Imports. Tonnage. 

Half of Mexico $ 7,641,470 34,672 

Half of Central America 2,612,162 10,721 

Half of New Granada 1,905.200 6.703 

Chili „ 10,994.505 25,263 

Peru 11,870,240 49,201 

Ecuador 556,923 2,283 

China 13,618,446 18,863 

Java 860,227 3,749 

Singapore - 

Australia 908,933 5,217 

Islands of the Pacific 

California 1,607,929 8,587 



Value of cargoes $52,576,185 165,259 

Value of ships, at $50 per ton - 8,262,950 

Total value $60,839,135 

Table showing the Trade of the United States that would pass through the 

Darien Canal. 

Countries Traded with. Imports and Exports. Tonnag$. 

1869. 186S. 

Dutch East Indies $ 2,030,031 13,283 

British Australia and New Zealand 809,037 44,624 

British East Indies 9,432,214 107,977 

Half of Mexico 5,999,967 72,930 

Half of Central America 2,109,778 41,520 

Chili 3,272,467 49.078 

Peru 3,059,755 78,429 

Sandwich Islands 2,083,484 56,603 

China 25,584,853 107,884 

Half of New Granada 5,186,025 308,220 



Vjilue of cargoes $59,617,611 880,548 

Value of ships, at $50 per ton 44,027.400 

Total value of ships and cargoes $103,645,014 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 99 

The foregoing tables show what would probably be the amount and direction 
of the commerce passing through the Darien Canal when first completed, but 
in this there would be an immediate and rapidly increasing change inuring to 
the benefit of the United States. At present the balance of trade is so decidedly 
against Europe and America, and in favor of the East Indies and China, that 
vessels sailing from the ports of the former are never half laden, but bring 
full cargoes on their return passages of the products of the East. This condi- 
tion of the trade is not owing to a want of market in Eastern and Southern 
Asia for the products of the United States, but to the present great cost of 
getting those products to that market, and the nearer but greatly less demand 
we find for them in Europe. A canal through the Isthmus of Darien or 
Tehuantepec would so materially shorten the distance and lessen the expense 
of the transit to Asia and Australia that, in less than three years, the bread- 
stuffs and other products sent from our ports to these countries would not only 
change the balance of trade in our favor, but would also rebuild the commercial 
marine which the late war so completely destroyed; and the magnificent 
harbors of the West India islands and our Gulf coast, of which Tampa Bay, 
Appalachicola, Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans and Galveston are the principal 
belonging to us, would, as the receptacles for shipment of the vast products of 
the Southern States and the Yalley of the Mississippi, soon make the Gulf of 
Mexico the grandest center of commercial activity that the world has ever 
witnessed. 

This brief comparison of the isthmuses will at present suffice. The tables 
have been brought side by side, with the design of enlisting deeper interest in 
the proposed survey for our own Darien Canal. Its importance can scarcely 
be over-estimated ; and the interest in it, and effort to be enlisted for its con- 
struction, may be quickened by such comparisons as we are now making. 

For it is to be kept steadily before the eye, that the termini of the two great 
transit routes, in the two hemispheres, are the radiant points for the great trunk 
lines of the world's commerce, viz : (1) From the Persian Gulf, or Suez, east 
to Bombay, Calcutta and Australia, and from Port Said west to all parts of 
Europe, North and South America ; and (2) from Darien east to Europe, and 
west to Asia, South American west coast, and Australia. 

"We now turn from these comparisons of the American route, as yet unsur- 
veyed, but challenging the genius of exploration and of engineering, to the 
record of the present finished route in the East ; again saying, " May the Suez 
Canal secure our own." 

That the English are beginning to comprehend the state of the case, may be 
inferred from an article on the Suez Canal in a recent number of Once a Week, 
from which we extract the following passages : 

" That the Suez Canal will bring about a revolution in the commercial world 
is certain ; the extent of the revolution must be left to future times to decide. 

" With the new direct passage to the East, is there not every probability of 
the ports of North Africa and of South Europe becoming the great commercial 
emporiums of the futuro? The way is now clear from North America to Ilin- 
dostan and with the exception of the detour made by the Pied Sea, the course 



100 V ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

is a direct one. The Mediterranean lies in tho line between East and West, and 
aiay be said to connect both. What an enviable position ! On the one hand 
America, flourishing, young, and active; on the other India, surpassingly 
wealthy, and itself the connecting link whose shores, abounding with good 
ports, are almost everywhere the fringes of good and largely-yielding soil. 
Now is the time for Trieste and Marseilles to bestir themselves. The golden 
opportunity is offered, and the earliest bidder will obtain the greatest bargains. 
Who knows where will be the London, the pre-eminent commercial city of 
future times ? It would be odd, indeed, if, contrary to all modern anticipa- 
tions, it should not be in North America, but in one of the oldest districts of 
the Old World. The Old World is very much larger than the New, is as rich, 
or richer, in minerals, and contains a greater proportion of richly-productive 
soil. After consideration, then, it would not be surprising if the commercial 
supremacy which successively left Tyre, Home, and Venice, should desert Lon- 
don — not for New York, but for some place on the ancient coast of the 
Mediterranean. Should this really happen (of course, it is at present a mere 
speculation, and a few years will decide the probability or improbability of its 
ultimate occurrence), there can be no doubt that the Suez Canal will have been 
the groat, if not the sole, cause of the regeneration of the world of the ancients. 
"Let England not be blind to the probable influences of the Suez Canal. It 
behooves her particularly, of all the nations of the world, to be on the alert, 
even for events which it may take centuries to culminate, for she has the 
greatest interests at stake. She is now on the top of the pinnacle of glory, 
supported by the richest possessions, the most flourishing colonies, and the 
greatest commerce of the world. 

" The greatness of England may be said to have had its foundation in the 
discovery of the Cape route to India. This event developed the energies of 
the nations of Western Europe, and its effects were almost immediately felt in 
the rapid rise of Spain, then of Portugal, next of Holland, and lastly of 
England. They are all nations possessing extensive coasts open to the Atlantic, 
and therefore received the benefits of the newly-found way to the large 
world. The discovery converted the Mediterranean into a comparatively small 
expanse of water, shut out of the wider world; and, ever since, the countries 
on its shores have gradually lessened in importance ; England has become rich, 
while Eastern Spain, and Italy, and Greece have become poor — because, by the 
Cape route, she is nearer to China and the East Indies. The fact stands on 
adamant. The inference is as true. The Cape route is, or will be in a few 
years, worthless for communication with the East, the way by Suez being the 
nearer and the safer. Our Eastern commerce must decline, as assuredly as 
that of South Europe will increase. Such must be the case, even should we 
continue our hold on India and we cannot hope to preserve an ascendency 
over three hundred millions of foreigners if we begin to lose prestige in the 
world. 

" Kegarding Eastern commerce, a vigorous activity on the part of the Medi 
terranean States will be accompanied by a comparative decline on that of 
England ; in other words the salvation of the Mediterranean will be the ruin 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 101 

of England. But, some people will very naturally remark, we shall still have 
the American commerce in our hands, and the resources and wealth of America 
are worthy of comparison with those of the East. Granted ; but the retention 
of half a possession is no recompense for I he loss of the other half. We may, 
However, cull some consolation from the philosophic reflection that half a good 
thing is better than none at all ; and in that light we should be thankful for our 
own fortune. America is now our last resource, and will be the friend to save us 
from litter bankruptcy and ruin. 

" If the Suez Canal had been completed a century or more ago, before the 
resources of the New World had been known and appreciated, there is much 
ground of probability in the supposition that our country would have sunk into 
respectable insignificance, and that the progress of America in civilization and 
prosperity would have been far less rapid than it has been under existing cir- 
cumstances. So widely different must have been the course of events, and so 
gigantic are the interests concerned, that the subject fills the mind with amaze- 
ment. Whole countries, nay, continents, would have been materially affected, 
and not merely a British colony at the Cape of Good Hope, as many persons 
erroneously suppose. We have, indeed, as Englishmen, much cause for con- 
gratulation upon the long delay in removing the barrier between European and 
Asiatic seas, until the present hour, when the productions of America have 
been so generally and so abundantly developed. We cling to America as to the 
last hope of a sinking man. 

"Those are gloomy forebodings for the future of our country. They will 
undoubtedly prove true in the end, unless England shakes off the foolish apathy 
with regard to foreign affairs which seems to have taken possession of her 
during these last three or four years. She must not be content to confine ber 
whole attention to her own island home, if she has the ambition still to be a 
power in the world. She must not selfishly withdraw her support from her 
young colonies, who need her assistance now, but who will be her strong 
defenders or aiders in the future. She must not allow France or any other 
power again to undertake the grandest enterprise of the day. On the con- 
trary, she must be ever bold and fearless — active and energetic in every quarter 
of the globe — resentful of every injury, and foremost in overy great work. 
She has been overreached by the latest French movement. Let her apply a 
lesson from it, and avert the dangers now threatening her, by excavating a 
channel across the Isthmus of Panama. Let her begin this great work imme- 
diately — not a moment should be lost — and the rich Eastern and Southeastern 
lands of Asia will be within easy distance of her by a new route in a direct 
line across the united Atlantic and Pacific oceans. 

u By this means only is the speedy destruction of our commercial interests 
and of our existence as a great independent nation to be prevented. The 
Panama Canal is the natural sequence of the successful piercing of the Isthmus 
of Sue/.. Na}', more — it is absolutely necessary for the safety of England. 
Apart from its necessity to this country particularly, it will be extremely 
beneficial to the whole world in general, by reason of its inspiring a fresh 
enterprising spirit of energy in men, and engendering emulations and instincts 



102 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

of progressive activity in nations. There is every reason, every necessity in 
the world, for the work to be commenced, and that quickly. The present is 
the golden opportunity — procrastination may snatch it away." 

Then is it not manifest from this general consideration of the subject that 
we, too, of the New World have a Mediterranean Sea in our Gulf of Mexico 
and Carribean Sea ? And in the future growth and organization of the world's 
commerce, can we not reasonably expect that thousands of ships from the 
Atlantic and Pacific — from the combined fleets of the nations of the earth — 
will associate in rendezvous in that world's commercial place which those two 
waters are destined to afford? Every consideration in our geography and 
resources, as well as the rapid tendency to a complete organization of the 
world's commerce, point to this one great fact. The Mediterranean of the New 
World is just as surely to supersede, in commercial importance, the Mediter- 
ranean of the Old World, as does the civilization of the New World supersede 
the civilization of the Old. Our Mediterranean will yet have its Suez Canal. 
It has its new Eome, its Constantinople, its Genoa and its Venice, its Smyrna 
and Palermo. In short, to the Mediterranean of the Old World belongs 
scarcely anything of nature or civilization that does not belong to the Mediter- 
ranean of the New World. Whether in oceans East and West, or whether in 
continents North and South; or whether in islands and cities, in climates and 
peoples, we may turn to the long line of historic scenes which have been 
enacted upon the shores of the Mediterranean of the Old World through 
thousands of years of man's history, growth, and the rise and fall of nations, 
the commercial greatness, and the diffusion of the arts and sciences — and there 
seems to be reserved in the future, and to be enacted upon the shores of the 
Mediterranean of the New World, still mightier deeds in commerce, in art, in 
Peace ! Why may we not anticipate a superior and more advanced rehearsal 
of history ? Even now it is being enacted, and must go on. 

Having pointed out the routes over which the controlling commerce of the 
world has passed for nearly three thousand years, and considered the probable 
influence which the use of the Suez and Darien canals will exert in the control 
and direction of the future commerce of the distant nations and peoples of the 
earth, and considered our advantage upon the ocean, and the certainty of the 
world's commerce seeking our markets through the Gulf of Mexico, and from 
thence to the great cities in the central plain, where it will be exchanged, 
distributed, and consumed, we return to the railway system, and consider the 
special industrial mission of our people. We have already said that the railway 
systems, in their more mature development, will be dominant over the water 
systems in affording commercial facilities, and will, in the future, control the 
industry of the world, and therefore the industrial mission of all considerable 
peoples who build for themselves these most useful agencies that the arts have 
produced. 

America is destined to be the great railway continent of the world 
and the essential industrial mission of the American people will conform to 
their great railway system. Hence their mission must be essentially con- 
tinental ; and now that the continent, from East to West, has been spanned 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 103 

by a great trunk line, and an entire line of battle formed from ocean to ocean 
in the civil conquest of the continent, a new movement is already begun which 
is destined to extend our railway system to the Gulf, west of the Mississippi 
river, and into Mexico, and from thence through Central to South America ; 
and thus will be indicated the industrial mission of our people. They will go 
forth, as from the beginning, following the track of the ancient civilization 
across the continent in a southwesterly direction, and thus continue on in their 
mission, carrying their arts and their arms into Mexico, and from thence to 
Central and South America — ever marching in unity and order with the rail- 
ways, as the great vitalizers of their industry and commerce. 

A glance at the elaborate and carefully prepared tables on the two following 
pages will show that nearly half of all the railroads in the world are within 
the boundaries of the United States of America. The Anglo-Saxon race first 
put their mark on the western continent at Plymouth and Jamestown, and now 
they have compassed it with bands of iron. Eeference to other tables will 
show that this vast work of building more than fifty thousand miles of railway 
has been accomplished within forty years. 

In 1830 there were twenty-three miles of railroad built and in actual opera- 
tion within the boundaries of the United States. In 1870 the completed 
railroads of this great country have reached nearly fifty-one thousand miles. 
The present annual increase of railroads in the United States is about five 
thousand miles, nor is it likely that this ratio of augmentation will decrease 
for years to come. Wherever a railroad will add the amount of its cost to the 
value of the country through which it passes, it is certain to be built. In the 
infancy of our railroad experience there were thousands of obstacles and 
difficulties to be overcome : the lack of capital, the want of engineering skill, 
the absence of that experimental knowledge which makes every blow and 
every dollar tell its whole value, were serious drawbacks upon railroad building. 
Warily and wearily the companies went on, adding a few miles from year to 
year, until their roads were completed. But the same indomitable spirit of 
energy and enterprise which had settled a wilderness, felling forests, fencing 
fields, and fighting savages, in its onward course, was equal to the emergency 
of building railroads. And it will soon happen that the American Union will 
be covered with a grand network of railways, penetrating not only every 
State, but almost every county and township in this vast territory. 

No continent of the globe is so well adapted, in its topographical character, 
for a vast system of railways as ours; and whereas we now have 50,000 miles 
in operation, the child is born that will see on this continent well nigh 150,000 
miles, diverging from the center to all parts of our national domain ; thus 
rendering the nation more powerful for good in peace than army and navy can 
accomplish. 

The following table, already referred to, is the most wonderful exhibit of 
human progress that the genius of man has thus far been able to develop. It 
spreads out before the understanding an art, world-wide in its use, and the 
most powerful of all man's works for the promotion of a unity of human 
civilization. 



104 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



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ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 



105 



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106 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

Let us turn now to a final consideration of the civil mission of our people, 
for this, too, cannot be regarded otherwiso than a great consideration in the 
world's civilization. Are we to remain one people — the great republican 
nation of the world? What civil mission through the national life is our people 
yet to fulfill? What beneficent influences are they yet to extend upon the 
nations aud the people of the earth ? 

la the consideration of the civil and industi-ial mission of our people, we 
must not forget that all the future greatness and glory of each depend as well 
upon the maintenance of fundamental principles of civilization over this entire 
continent. We must have one race, one language, one law, and one religion, 
and the entire life of our people tempered by cardinal principles of justice and 
morality. Sad and trying experience has long since taught mankind the abso- 
lute necessity of these essentials. We look over the history of all races of men 
that have lived in Western Asia and Europe, and we find that the antagonism 
of races, of religions, and of language has been the bane of all national devel- 
opment and high civilization. But few of the nations have escaped bloody wars 
produced by collisions between races, religions, laws aud languages ; wars that 
have been destructive of the best productions of civilization. We look further 
East to find an exception to the general experience. In the far East we find 
China spread over with a single race, a single law, a single language, a single 
religion, and a common civilization, all tempered with the highest principles of 
honor and morality. Through thousands of years have they perpetuated 
themselves, and this example we find nowhere else on the globe. Turning 
from the far East, it is in tho far West that we would imitate, on a higher scale, 
that grand experience of man in history. We have every advantage to do so. 
We havo a continent at our command. Its topography and natural advantages 
and resources are in every way fitted for man's highest use and civilization. 
We havo all the essential elements of one race, diverse from every other, and 
peculiar to the country. So, too, havo we of law, of language, of religion, and 
of civilization. It therefore remains for our people to be faithful to the highest 
use of what they possess. The theory of our government is correct. Let us 
labor to progress from the theory, Transitional Republicanism, to tho 
practice, ORGANIC LIBERTY. 

With the knowledge of the grand possibilities which our nation and people 
can yet attain, let us pray for a coming statesman, a law-giver, who will herald 
the rising glory of the Republic. A man of mighty, wide, grasping, reasoning, 
calculating, poetic mind, who, though born in a manger, tho kings of the earth 
will bow before his simple grandeur and majesty. A statesman too lofty in 
his bearing to deceive his people, and too pure in his nature to usurp their 
rights and bounties; a man whose life-example is a source of perpetual admi- 
ration for all his people ; a man, in short, who in every way is a statesman 
which the necessities of the Republic demand to point the way to its future 
greatness and honor. The birth of such a man is not impossible. God gives 
to the necessities of men and nations, and while wo hope for the future, let us 
fully realize the presont, and vindicate the Republic, its national life and 
character. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 107 

Said Carnot, the great French statesman, when speaking of Republics : 
" One only has been the work of philosophy, and that is the United States." 
The universal judgment of enlightened mankind corroborates tho truth of this 
statement. When our fathers appealed to tho Universal Judgo of tho world 
in vindication of the rights and independence of the colonies, they opened a 
way that no man can shut — a way for the free exercise of the inhoront rights 
of all mankind, through the rolling ages of the future. They established a 
government that interposed "no restraint but those laws which are the same 
to all, and no distinction but that which a man's merit may originate." 
They established a union of independent colonies, which, yielding to an 
irresistible national attraction, sought a new life in becoming a part of the 
great whole. 

Then realizing the character of a nation just born, we can readily apprehend 
what good it is destined to subserve in the civil interests of mankind, and over 
what lands its laws will seek dominion. Said the Hon. Charles Sumner, in 
speaking of the final supremacy of our constitution over all of North 
America: "The end is certain j nor shall we wait long for its mighty fulfill- 
ment. Its beginning is the establishment of peace at home, through which 
the national unity shall become manifest. This is the first step. The rest will 
follow. In tho procession of events it is now at hand, and he is blind who 
does not discern it. From the frozen sea to the tepid waters of the Mexican 
Gulf, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the whole vast continent, smiling with 
outstretched prairies, where the coal-fields below vie with the infinite corn- 
fields above — teeming with iron, copper, silver, and gold — filling fast with a free 
people, to whom the telegraph and steam are constant servants — breathing 
already with schools, colleges, and librai'ies — interlaced by rivers which are 
great highways — studded with inland seas where fleets are sailing, and ' poured 
round old ocean's' constant tides, with tributary commerce and still expand- 
ing domain. Such will be the great Republic, one and indivisible, with a 
common Constitution, a common Liberty, and a common Glory." 

Said tho Hon. William H. Seward: "This Union has not yet accomplished 
what good for mankind was manifestly designed by Him who appoints the 
seasons, and prescribes the duties of States and Empires. It shall continue 
and endure. , No other government can exist here." 

With these eloquent declarations we at once ascend to the grandeur of the 
subject, and behold the great Republic, actuated by the inevitable tendency of 
power and profit, moving forward to complete-dominion over North America. 
The boundary lines of Canada and those of Mexico will soon be efl ? aced > »;id 
tho new regions absorbed into the Federal family. Beyond this will follosv 
Central America, the West India and Sandwich Islands, and still be}'ond, South 
America will furnish a new field of industry and civil government for the 
redundant population of our Continental Republic; and, strengthened by tho 
universality of one languago and one law, the power and civil mission of our 
people will go forth from one people to another, until Old England, "proud 
and potent as she now appears," shorn of her colonies, will, like a widowed 
mother, kindred in language and religion, but weak like the shorn Samson, 



108 ST. LOUIS," THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

supplicate the young child, America, for sustenance and protection. Thus 
will America move forward until, in political power and prestige, she 
becomes the New Koine of the world, and in industry and civilization the 
Chinese or Celestial Empire of the earth — uniting at once, in universal rela- 
tionship and in the highest possible order of development, and under one con- 
stitution, the representative characters of the two mightiest historic nations 
of the earth. 

In the gift of empire, dominion will be hers, and her flag will yet wave in 
amity over the most ancient capitals of the world. Her art and industry will 
yet make the earth bloom as a universal Eden. In Epopaeia America will yet 
have greater poets than have ever walked upon the earth. In classics she will 
have her Salamis and Lepanto, her Alhambra and Parthenon ; and with a 
universal recognition of the principles of the golden rule by all, who will not 
with prayerful hearts 

"Hail the dawn of the coming day"? 

The universality of one language, one law, and one religion over all this 
continent, will be invulnerable to the powers of the world. Europe and Asia, 
distracted with their many languages, nationalities, and religions, will con- 
tinue for centuries to struggle with all the adversities produced by discordant 
elements among nations j hence the civil mission of our people will be 
universal and beneficent to all parts of the world. Intervening between the 
two great oceans of the globe, ours cannot fail to be the great representative 
nation of the earth in its population, its laws, and its commerce. 

In its bosom all the extremes of the earth will bo represented, and to its 
growth a'l parts of the world will contribute. We look around, East, West, 
North and South, and in every land foreign powers watch our progress with 
awe, and seek favor from our institutions. After all, it is America that will 
inherit the earth. 

India with its 200,000,000, China with its 400,000,000, Polynesia with its 
26,006,000 — more than two-thirds of the whole human race — are only now for 
the first time really open to our enterprise and commerce ; and " no matter in 
what region a desirable product is bestowed on man by a liberal Providence, 
or fabricated by human skill — it may clothe the hills of China with its 
fragrant foliage — it may glitter in the golden sands of California — it may 
wallow in the depths of the Arctic Seas — it may ripen and whiton in the 
fertile plains of the sunny South — it may spring forth from the flying shuttles 
of Manchester in England, or Manchester in America — the great world-magnet 
of commerce will attract it alike," and to us will be given sumptuously from 
the bountiful supply, as it is "all gathered up tor the service of man." Then, 
conscious of a transcendent destiny tor the Great Republic of the world, and 
the co equal industrial mission of the American people, the hopes and motives 
of all are made doubly strong as they go forward in the battle of life. 

Already the nation is in a great transition ; its very life is epical and unen- 
cumbered. From its crucifixion between the two thieves, slavery and rebellion, 
it triumphantly rides over the billow}' waves of sad aud desolating war into 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 109 

the haven of peace, hope, and prosperity. But the subject must not be dis- 
missed without its appropriate lesson of patriotism — a plea for an unchanging 
devotion of the citizen .to the Union of the States, as an absolute necessity for 
the perpetuity of the life of the Republic. The truest and broadest sense of 
filial love is understood to be a love of country — loyaltj^ patriotism. The 
necessity of this devotional sentiment or principle, by the citizen to the govern- 
ment, is just as important to the welfare of mankind as the devotion of the 
individual to society. Each citizen is a part of the whole; the -whole a union 
of States and individuals for common defense and common interest. The one 
•omplements the other. In all ages of the world, patriotism has given to the 
citizen the qualities of the hero, and furnished the orator, the statesman, and 
the poet with themes of unequaled magnitude and grandeur. 

" Our country ! — 'tis a glorious land ! 

"With broad arms stretched from shore to shore. 

The proud Pacific chafes her strand, 
She hears the dark Atlantic roar." 
ft ***** n 

" Great God ! we thank Thee for this home— 

This bounteous birthland of the free; 
Where wanderers from afar may come, 

And breathe the air of liberty. 
Still may her flowers untrampled spring, 

Her harvests wave, her cities rise ; 
And yet, till time shall fold his wing, 

Kemain earth's loveliest paradise. 

The revolution of '76 sowed in the hearts of the American people the seeds 
of an imperishable devotion to the Union of these States — a devotion which 
nought but the foulest hand, moved by the most corrupt heart, would dare to 
reach forth to destroy; and though we are now in the midst of a transition, 
such as comes in the life of nations, when the event and the struggle vastly 
overawes the individual comprehension and convictions, and thus leads for a 
time to an unhappy condition and dire results, it needs no prophetio eye to 
see beyond to the new unfoldment, when union and patriotism will again 
walk together all over this broad land, as Enoch walked with God. But suoh 
A result will not be the fruit of a miracle; it will only come as the result of 
earnest and devoted toil, thus cultivating in the hearts of the American people 
a deep and fervent attachment to Union. 

What man — what woman — what citizen — conscious of being either sire or 
descendant in this nation, and among this people, is not willing to share even 
the meanest part in so grand a mission ? The destiny is alike to the State and 
the citizen ; tbe growth and prosperity of the one contributes to the welfare 
of the other, and everywhere under the shield of the Constitution, freedom 
is the same to all. What land affords greater opportunities ? What people are 
more equal ? 

Turning, then, from this hopeful consideration, " and beholding my oountry 
at last redeemed and fixed in history, the Columbus of nations, once in chains, 
but now hailed as benefactor and discoverer, who gave a new liberty to man- 
kind," let us anticipate the consummation of the future, and with the eyes of 
Cassandra, behold " one vast confederation stretching from the frozen North 
in one unbroken line to the glowing South, and from the wild billows of the 



110 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

Atlantic westward to the calmer waters of the Pacific, and over all this vast 

continent one people, one law, one language, and one faith; and in the full 

fruition of our arms and arts, our industry and dominion, this whole land 

begemmed with mighty cities of civilization ; then, with eyes lifted toward 

beaven, behold upon the starry scroll of the future Columbia's name recorded, 

ner future honors and happiness inscribed. Then, closing the vision, let us 

turn to man, and with a voice that will reach all hearts and consciences, bid 

him go forth in peace to the great mission of the higher and better conquest of 

the world ; and — 

" Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State ; 
Sail on, Union, strong and great ; 
Humanity, with all its fears, 
With all the hope of future years, 
Is hanging breathless on thy fate.; 
"We know what Master laid* thy keel, 
What Workman wrought thy ribs of steel; 
Who made each mast, and sail, and rope, 
What anvils rang, what hammers beat, 
In what a forge, and what a heat 
Were shaped the anchors of thy hope. 
Fear not each sudden sound and shock — 
'Tis of the wave, and not the rock, 
'Tis but the flapping of the sail, 
And not a rent made bj r the gale. 
In spite of rock and tempest's roar, 
In spite of false lights on the shore ; 
Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea — 
Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee ; 
Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears, 
Our faith triumphant o'er our fears, 
Are all with thee — are all with thee ! " 



AMERICA. 



''Melodia rules thy destiny, O Land 
Of coming years ; Empire wise and grand, 
America! and thou at last shall be 
The consecrated home of Poetry — 
The fairer Greece, adorned with noblest art, 

And bathed in sacred love from God's creative heart 
For thee, for thee, the wise Melodiang throng 
Even now. and chant in Heaven their morning song. 
For thee and for thy sons methinks they sing; 
They come, and angel song-; as offerings bring. 
For thee ami for thy race methinks they cry, 
'Love, Wisdom. Inspiration, Liberty/ 
The four great Angels of the coming time, 

To their Olympian goal lead on thy race sublime.' 
Thou art that rock-built Pharos that above 
Earth's ocean lifts tlie immortal flame of love. 
E'en now thou shinest like a beacon-star, 
Leading Earth's myriads o'er the deep afar. 
Thou art the lost Atlantid.\s that lay, 
To ancient thought, beyond the waves away; 
The New Jerusalem the ancient Seer 
Of Patmos saw, descending white and clear 
From highest heaven; the rich and wise Cathay 
Columbus sought, faith-guided, on his way. 
The Old, the New, the Future, and the Past, 
Meet and embrace, complete in thee at last. 
Thou art the crowning flower of Earth and Time, 
The destined Eden of Mankind divine. " 



ST. L0UI8, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. HI 



THE GREAT BRIDGE NOW BEING BUILT OYER THE 
MISSISSIPPI, AT ST. LOUIS. 



" "What a glorious future may we not anticipate for our own St. Louis ! Why, sir, I imagine I 
can see the Oriental traveler, on his brief excursion round the world, pause upon the central span 
of the Ead8 Bridge, and, amid a prodigality of gigantic achievements of science and progressive 
effort, still read in the distant future developments of equal or greater magnitude. He stands 
upon a structure which rests upon the «ieep foundations of the earth itself, and presents in its 
strength and massive grandeur, in its piers of granite and arches of steel, fit emblems of our moral 
as well as physicals tructures, the steadfastness and wisdom of our institutions, and the solidity of 
our industries. Beneath him flows the great Father of Waters, bearing on its bosom the argosies 
of an empire, while on every hand the evidences of triumphant art command his attention. A city 
of 1,000,000 inhabitants lies before him, and it may be on one of its ascending steppes the capital 
of the nation rears its peerless dome. Strange wonders, these, of Time's begetting, and of 
progressive revolutions ! The providential mystery which hid this continent from the knowledge 
of the civilized world for thousands of years, begins to clear away under the sunshine of facts 
which surrounds him, and the grand revelation is made that it wa3 reserved for a period when 
mankind should aim to be fraternal, and the victories of peace should be acknowledged the 
crowning glories of ambition." — B. K. Bonner. 

Each age and each nation produces its great works in some phase of human 
progress. The early Jews built the tower of Babel ; Egypt had the pyramids 
and Catacombs ; Greece her Parthenon and uncqualed temples of worship j 
Rome had her Coliseum; the middle ages their walled cities. But modern 
civilization, passing beyond the age of selfishness, ambition, and idolatry, gives 
to mankind magnificent structures of greater use as the triumphs of the 
genius of the race. 

The greatest work of mechanical art that the world has yet beheld is the 
Crystal Palace of the nineteenth century. It combines in one grand master- 
piece of art, and one glow of associated beauty, the highest civilization and 
progress of man. 

The leading feature of the present age is the strife for commercial dominion. 
In this department of civilization is enlisted more capital, talent, and men 
than in any other. All the rapid strides of the race are made in its interest — 
whether in the achievement of art, of science, or of genius. The wild billows 
of the Atlantic have been defied by steam and electricity, and the two groat 
continents of kindred shores united by these subtle agents ; and now with one 
steady grand march does civilization, carried by the tides of men, continue its 
journey to the West — to the high mountains, and the broad and calmer waters 
of the wide Pacific Ocean. With these great movements oome the master- 
works of mechanics and arts. 

Since the invention of the steam engine, the railway system may be regarded 
as the greatest aid to civilization the arts have producod, on account of the rapid 



112 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

intercommunion of men and ideas, and the exchange of products. But a great 
and valuable railway system without bridges to cross the inland streams would 
be an impossibility; hence the remarkable development of genius and art, and 
the concentration of capital, to construct in ample proportions these master- 
fabrics for commercial use. Nor are they constructed as the easy work com- 
mon to the ordinary routine of life. But rather are they, who project great 
works in advance of the resistless moving times, compelled to contend against 
a vast array of ignorance, prejudice, and selfishness. Yes, there is one thing 
common in the history of all great undertakings that have to break a new 
path : they have to combat against frivolous objections and contempt, and, 
even in the best cases, against the unsympathetic attitude of the masses. At 
the same time it must be confessed that these opposing elements have never 
failed to pass into their opposites, as soon as perseverance, talent, and business 
energy on the part of individuals have, in spite of them, realized what has 
once been acknowledged as possible and necessary. In all such cases contempt 
has been exchanged for admiration, doubt has been compelled to give way ; and 
the more rapidly and victoriously the enterprise, which was once so strongly 
doubted or even assailed, progresses, the more surprisingly does the number of 
those increase who would fain have it believed that they stood as prophets of 
good by its oradle. Such was the case — to confine our examples to American 
soil — with the Erie canal, with the leveling of Chicago, with the Pacifio 
railroads, and finally with that immense structure which, before the face of St. 
Louis, is soon destined to span the Father of Waters. This one circumstance 
might be sufficient to secure the work its proper place among the great feats 
©f humanity in modern times. But such is no longer necessary as an argu- 
ment ; the structure has its days of combat behind it — already its creators can 
point with silent finger to the actual progress which it has made, and to the 
point which it has at this moment attained, and allow that which has already 
been accomplished to speak for that which is yet to be accomplished. And it 
speaks irresistibly j it tells us not only that the completion of a work which in 
its line has no peer, is certain, but it tells us also that, as in the case of the 
Pacifio railways, the goal will be reached many a day sooner than the original 
calculations and pre-suppositions led us to expect. 

That the trade of the central portion of the Mississippi Yalley, which centers 
in St. Louis, and advances every year with such gigantic strides, was not 
sufficiently provided for by the present arrangements for transportation aoross 
the broad stream which separates Missouri and Illinois, or, to speak more cor- 
rectly, the true East and West of the United States, has been known and seen 
by every one for many years. 

Passing from this general allusion to the struggle which enterprise is com- 
pelled to wage against established conditions, we at once submit a general 
gta + uent of the great Bridge under consideration. 

1'he plan of the Bridge, as it is now being built, is quite original in many 
particulars, and when completed will, in all probability, be supei-ior to any 
structure of the kind in the world. So great and important is the structure, 
that a complete description of its main work will not bo uninteresting to the 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 113 

general reader • for the work itself has its lesson as well as its value, and 
therefore its manner of building, as well as its style of structure, will be of 
great public interest. 

THE PIERS OF THE BRIDGE. 

The locality at the river chosen for the bridge is a scene of the strangest and 
most exciting kind. Along the banks are extensive workshops, heaps of hewn 
stone, beams, iron-work and cement barrels, forges, offioes and sheds for sup- 
plies, derricks and other arrangements for hoisting, and pile-drivers, whose 
construction aloue is a sort of miracle, and finally the lofty bridge-scaffoldings 
composed of thousands of beams, arms, and parts of iron machines over the 
shore piers, which are in progress of construction inside of strong caissons. 
In the midst of the river, 500 feet from either shore, and 520 feet distant from 
each other, we see the same scaffoldings, only more complicated and more 
lofty, and, notwithstanding their colossal size, affording an almost elegant 
spectacle in their wonderful symmetry. Structures of all kinds, and palisades 
that go down a hundred feet into the river, intended to break the current, 
and more particularly the floating ice in winter, surround these wonderful 
oonstructions that rise from the bosom of the river. 

Like the building yards on shore, and even more than these, they are 
orowded with a perfect bee-hive of engineers and workmen, whose self- 
oonscious ability is infinitely increased by the enormous mechanical powers 
which stand here ready for use at every step, in the form of floating derricks, 
steam engines, pumps, and hydraulic jacks. These are the building yards of the 
two piers. Under these scaffoldings and iron constructions the heavy masses 
of stone which are intended to carry and hold the three arches of the bridge 
mostly counterparts of the ponderous structures of the ancient Egyptians, are 
put together. But how much easier was the task of those ancients, who piled 
up their edifices in the familiar element of atmospheric air ! In our case they 
had to penetrate into the deeps, but not, like the miner, into the solid element 
of the earth ; they had to break through a volume of water thirty feet deep, 
and, after arriving at the bottom, to burrow through the sixty and ninety-feet 
thick layers of treacherous, ever-changing Mississippi sand, in order to rest 
the basis of the piers upon the eternal ribs of the earth itself, on the rocks of 
primeval worlds. 

The investigations of years in regard to the undercurrent of the Mississippi 
have shown that no river in the world changes its sand-bed so rapidly and to 
such an extent; and more particularly the soundings that were made near St. 
Louis showed that at times, when the river overflows, its sand-layers may be 
carried away to the depth of forty feet, and, under extraordinary circum- 
stances, scoured down to the very rock itself. . Thus was demonstrated the 
necessitj" of laying the basis of the piers upon the rock itself, which under one 
pier is ninety feet, under the other one* hundred and twenty feet, under the 
ordinary high-water line. Inasmuch, on the other hand, as the law of Congress, 
made in the interest of navigation, prescribes that the height of the arches 
shall be fifty feet above the city directrix, or ordinary high-water line of the 



114 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITJC. 

river, it results that the entire height of the piers must reach 165 and 194 feet 
respectively. 

The system by which the base is laid upon the rock is that of sinking. On 
colossal iron caissons (open below and resting upon the sand itself), which, 
with the increasing weight of the piers built on top of them, and as the 
sand under them is removed to the upper world, sink deeper and deeper, this 
lowering is effected. In order, however, to render the caissons — which, in spite 
of the thickness of their iron walls and their solid construction, might not be 
able to withstand the pressure of the growing masonry and the masses of sand 
that press against their side walls — capable of resistance, tho atmosphere, by 
means of enormous air-pumps, is compressed in them in such a manner that 
their power of resistance can be increased to meet any exigency. When the 
caisson or air chamber, as it is called with propriety, strikes upon the rock — 
that is, when the sand-pumps working it have removed the gigantic laj-ers of 
sand through which it had to penetrate, and when the pier that rests on the 
caisson is separated only by the air-chamber from the rock — then it (the 
caisson) is tilled with concrete, which completes the indissoluble connection 
between pier and rock. When the last particle of compressed air in the air- 
chamber has given place to this indestructible compound of cement and stone, 
all that remains to be done is to fill up in a similar manner the perpendicular 
shafts which communicate between the air-chamber and the upper world, and 
the whole structure of the pier in solid compactness, incorporated with the 
rock far below, stands aloft, bathing high above its colossal and yet elegant 
form in the rays of the sun, out of the floods of the river. 

IN THE AIR-CHAMBER. 

During the last few months a visit to one of the air-chambers under the piers 
was one of the principal attractions that St. Louis had to show to visitors. 
The further the piers themselves advanced — that is, the deeper the air-chamber 
sunk with its burden — the greater was the compression of the air necessary to 
render them capable of supporting tho immense weight which increased with 
every inch of sinking, and all the harder was tho work inside the caisson. 
When the air-chamber of the cast pier, on the 28th of February last, reached 
the depth of ninety-five feet under the bed of the river, with a weight of 20,000 
tons upon it, the workman who i-emoved the last of tho sand had to work under 
the pressure of three atmospheres ; and it was not possible so entirely to avoid 
all kinds of mischances, as has hitherto been the case, without changing the 
workmen as frequently as possible. In order to afford a more complete under, 
standing of the matter, we must remark that the introduction of the compressed 
air into the caisson can be measured with such wonderful accuracy that the 
sinking can be regulated to an inch. This sinking is accurately calculated 
according to the quantity of tho sand removed from beneath the air-chamber^ 
which is nine feet high. The sand .itself is removed by means of powerful 
pumps, which pump up the sand in great streams after it has been softened and 
brought in the condition of drifting sand by means of water supplied from & 
hose, and then driven back to the river from whose depths it had been taken. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 115 

As we have already said, a number of shafts passing vertically down the 
pier effect a chimney kind of a communication between the air-chamber 
and the upper world. In the central and widest of these was a winding 
stair-ease, which was lengthened as the pier reached downward, and was 
used for people to pass up and down. The smaller shafts, which also passed 
down the pier perpendicularly, contained the pipes which serve to introduce 
the compressed air, the hose for moistening the sand, the pump which removes 
it, machines for the introduction of materials, and a telegraphic arrangement 
by means of which the workmen from beneath, "where all things hideous are," 
are able to correspond every moment with "those that breathe in the rosy 
light." 

The entrance into the caisson itself was effected by means of an air-lock at 
the bottom of the winding stair-case — a lock which, like the caisson, is con- 
structed of thick iron, and is an integral part of it. As soon as the chamber 
was entered, which was capable of holding six or eight persons, the current of 
air admitted rushed round with such impetuosity that even strong organiza- 
tions entering this kingdom of darkness and night for the first time could not 
disembarrass themselves of a certain feeling of uneasiness. The iron door that 
led to the outer world pi-essed firmer against its frame, by the force of the air 
streaming in, than could be done by a lock or any other contrivance. The 
etop-cock through which the air streamed in was not closed until the atmos- 
phere in the air-lock had reached the same density as that in the main part of 
the caisson. As soon as this was the case the door leading into the caisson 
opened of itself, and we were ready to enter this subterraneous workshop, where 
even the clearest voice loses its sound, and where, deep under the echo of human 
speech — yea, deep under the water's undermost depths — busy workmen pave the 
way for the sinking pier. 

For a while one felt pei-fectly comfortable in this underworld — a world 
euch as no mythology and no superstition ever dreamed of. The transition 
indeed, became apparent by pain in the ears, bleeding at the nose, or a feeling 
of suffocation ; but these inconveniences and seeming dangers, inevitable upon 
such a visit to hell, were insignificant in comparison with the interest which it 
offered. It was undertaken by hundreds and hundreds of visitors, including 
many ladies, and none returned from that depth without carding along with 
them one of the most remarkable reminiscences of their whole life. Shrouded 
in a mantle of vapor labor the workmen there, loosening the sand; dim flicker 
the flames of the lamps, and the air had such a strange density and moisture 
that one wandered about almost as if he were in a dream. For a short time all 
this was extremely interesting and delightful, but it was not long before the wish 
to escape again from this strange situation gained the upper hand over the 
charm which it exercised. Gladly did the visitor, after a quarter of an hour, 
re-enter the air-lock, with an unfeigned feeling of relief, to watch the air 
beginning to escape from this chamber. At once the door behind him leading 
from the caisson closed by the denser air, and fastened as firmly as if there 
was a mountain behind it. The compressed element escaped whistling from 
the air-lock j the air within was more and more equalized with the air without; 



116 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

a few minutes, and they were of equal density ; then the door, no longer 
pressed against its frame by the dense atmosphere, opened to the winding 
stairs, and the visitor came forth taking a long breath, and, to use Schiller's 
words, once more "greets the heavenly light" which shone from far above 
down the shaft. 

THE BRIDGE WHEN COMPLETED. 

At present both the piers may be considered as finished. The east pier has 
been resting with its caisson on the rock since the 28th of February, and the 
filling of the chambers was then rapidly accomplished. Its western oompanion 
had then only three feet more to sink, and this it might have done in a very 
short time, but the supply of granite failed to arrive in time, and so inter- 
rupted the building itself. It is laid down in the plan that the portion of the 
piers above water, and exposed to the action of the air, shair be built of the 
strongest granite, while the parts extending from the rock 10 a certain point 
under the lowest water shall be built from limestone blocks from Grafton 
quarry, in Illinois. When the expected granite arrived, the construction of 
the piers above the surface of the water made rapid progress, and in a few 
weeks they will have reached" the prescribed height of fifty feet above the 
water level. Their total height, or, if you prefer it, their total depth, will 
then, as stated above, be 194 and 165 feet respectively — the east pier being the 
highest, because the rock on the Illinois side of the river lies deeper than it 
does on the Missouri side. The hexagonal foundation of the piers is 82 feet in 
length ; their weight amounts to from 28,000 to 33,000 tons. No less solid and 
massive is the construction of the abutments. In their case, likewise, they 
had to go down to the rocks. Upon the Missouri side of the river this 
presented little difficulty, which, however, will be made up for on the Illinois 
side, on account of the nature of the American bottom. On this side the 
works are already advancing, inside a gigantic coffer-dam, towards the surface. 
On the other side they are just being begun. We know, however, that in the 
character of this work a beginning is the beginning of a certain, and particu- 
larly of an early, termination. It will therefore not be long before the Illinois 
abutment will rapidly follow its vis-a-vis and the two piers. 

These four piers will form the substructure which now approaches its 
termination with rapid strides. Upon the masses thereof, which are put 
together to last for an eternity, the bridge itself will rest, which is destined to 
facilitate the proudest inland commerce over the proudest of streams. They 
will carry three arches, which, as was already remarked, will measure — those 
extending from the abutments to the piers 500 feet each, and the span of the 
principal arch between the two piers 520 feet. The possibility of erecting such 
long spans, considering the enormous weight whioh they will have to bear, was 
at first strongly doubted, and still more strongly contested. Captain Eads, 
however, sustained on the one side by his calculations, on the other by the 
example of the arched bridge at Kulinburg, in Holland, which spans the Leek 
with a span of 500 feet, as well as by the plans of the English bridge-engineer 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 117 

Telford, which were made in the beginning of this century, was enabled to 
invalidate and set aside all these objections. Cast-steel is selected as the 
material of these arches Each of them will be double, that is to say, will 
consist of two ooncentric arches 12 feet apart, and joined together by a network 
of the most massive steel braces. Such double arches will be stretched four 
in each span, running parallel with each other from pier to pier. Upon their 
iron necks will be laid the real bridge in two stories. The lower of these 
stories is intended for the railways; the upper belongs to vehicles and foot 
passengers. Being fifty feet wide, both will afford space enough to satisfy the 
demands of the liveliest traffic. Meanwhile, underneath, the largest steamers, 
even when the water is at its highest, may dash along ; and while over them 
the East and West exchange their riches, they may, unimpeded, perform the 
exchange between the North and the South. St. Louis, however, will not only 
have the boldest arch bridge in the world, but it will also have the first struc- 
ture of the kind built of steel, the true noble metal of our times. Let us leave 
to Europe her Krupp and her arsenal full of cast-steel cannon— the one steel 
bridge over the Mississippi casts into the shade all that equivocal wealth of the 
old world. 

It remains to say a few words in regard to the shore structures, or, more 
properly, to the approaches to the bridge. The -street leading directly to the 
bridge — Washington avenue — is one of the broadest and finest in St. Louis. 
Like the whole of the St. Louis shore, it slopes rapidly when it approaches the 
river. It will be sufficient, therefore, to prolong the bridge, which rises about 
fifty feet above the shore, a comparatively short distance — three blocks — 1,049 
feet into the city, in order that its level may equal that of Washington avenue. 
A viaduct of five arches, of twenty-seven feet span each, under which the traffic 
of the cross streets below may be carried on unobstructedly, will form the 
continuation of the bridge, and of course will be of the same height and 
breadth. At the end of it the high level road will pass into Washington avenue, 
which still continues to rise, whereas the low level road, with its railways, will 
run into a tunnel, 4,800 feet in length, which passes under a large portion of 
the city, and terminates at the spot where the great St. Louis Central Eailroad 
Depot will be erected — where at present the Pacific railroad crosses Eleventh 
street. The tunnel will be fifteen feet wide and seventeen feet high. By 
means of soundings and borings it has been ascertained that there are only 
layers of clay to be tunneled through, and therefore the latter portion of the 
enterprise will offer no particular difficulties. With the approach to the bridge 
over the flat marshy ground on the Illinois shore, the company itself has nothing 
whatever to do. Dykes and trestles, branching off according to the conve- 
nience of the different railroad companies to north, south, or east, will complete 
the connection with the bridge. The upper carriage-way will be carried out 
upon solid constructions as far as Fourth street in East St. Louis, from which 
point the Missouri traific will divide up in all directions. 

And now, what will this gigantic work — measuring from the Illinois abut- 
ment to Washington avenue, in St. Louis, 2,230 feet — cost ? We put down the 
estimates for the different parts, as well as for the whole structure : 



118 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

Superstructure (piers and abutments) $1,540,080 00 

Superstructure (arches and roads for traffic) — 1,460,418 30 

Approaches 620,397 24 

Tunnel 410,477 55 

Expropriations - 530,900 00 

Railroad - 25,680 00 



Total expense of bridge $4,496,953 09 

Of this capital, three millions ($1,200,000 in St. Louis, the rest in New- 
York) have already been subscribed, and the outlay up to the present moment 
is SI, 700,000. At the same time the financial management has hitherto been 
so successful, and the different contracts made bo advantageously, tbat the 
progress of the bridge will certainly not be interrupted by any pecuniary 
difficulties. No less certain is it that advantage will be taken of the work as 
soon as it is completed. The data which have been made and collected with 
extreme care in regard to this point by one of the directors, Dr. William 
Taussig — who must be considered one of the most energetic promoters and 
patrons of the great national enterprise — lead to the following results : 

At least thirteen railroads will have their terminus on the Illinois shore of 
the Mississippi in East St. Louis. And at leastr eleven railways will soon leave 
St. Louis itself, cutting the State of Missouri in all directions. Of only three 
of all these have we any statistical reports, and these relate only to the freight 
traffic o-f the year 1867. They show that during that year 767,400 tons of 
freight were carried over these lines. The most modest estimate of the traffio 
of twelve railways, which will be the total number finished and in operation 
before the completion of the bridge, cannot place it below a million of tons. 
The contracts already made with the different railway companies, and those 
still to be negotiated, secure to the Bridge Company an average tariff of 65 
cents a ton, which would yield a yearly revenue from freight alone of $550,500. 
The remaining traffic (horse-cars, coal carts, farmers' wagons, and other freight 
conveyances, along with cattle transport), according to present estimates, may 
be reckoned at $129,647, and passengers on the railways $112,000, so that alto- 
gether the total revenue would amount to $892,147. From this sum $40,000 
must be subtracted for annual incidental expenses, and there will remain over 
a sum equal to eight and a half per cent, on a capital of ten millions. 

It is expected that the bridge will be inaugurated in the last days of next 
year. However, if we may draw a conclusion from the past favors of fortune 
upon the work, the latter part of the summer of 1871 will see the first train of 
cars pass over the steel and granite structures of this unrivaled bridge. Then 
it will not only be a source of pride to ever}- Missourian in particular and every 
American in general, but its massive and yet magnificently elegant forms will 
be a souroe of astonishment to the ordinary spectator and of admiring appre- 
ciation to the professional engineer. Then likewise will be brilliantly verified 
the words with which the architect closed the report which he laid before the 
company in the spring of 1868, and which are as follows: 

"It is safe in stating that rarely has an enterprise been inaugurated which 
appeals so strongly to the support of our citizens of all classes, which promises 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 119 

bo much to add to the welfare and prosperity of the city, ana which offers such 
a safe and remunerative return for the labor and capital invested in it." 

At the present time the west pier is sunk to the rock, and the air-chambers 
of both piers, and the shafts in them, have been filled up with concrete ; and 
the masonry has been carried up to about six feet above low-water linos. The 
caisson for the east abutment is being built at Carondelet, and will be launched 
about August 10th of this }*ear. 

The west abutment has also been built up to about twelve feet abovo low. 
water, and by February 1st of next year all the masonry of the piers will be 
ready for the superstructure. The contract for the superstructure has been 
awarded to the Kingston Bridge Company, of Pittsburg, Pa., and that com- 
pany is now working in the most urgent manner to fill their contract, which 
obliges them to furnish and raise the superstructure of the bridge within seven- 
teen months. A notable feature of this contract consists in the fact that it has' 
been let at prices below those estimated by the Chief Engineer. 

This constitutes a brief outline description of the great St. Louis Eailway 
and Passenger Bridge, which is now in process of construction. 

A very brief classification of the approved bridges of the day, and an 
allusion to specimens of the various kinds, will, perhaps, enable the casual 
reader to receive a better impression of the magnitude of the St. Louis bridge. 
There are four prominent styles of bridges, which are generally adopted by 
the engineering profession when they aim to erect something that will endure 
to remote generations — the tubular, the suspension, the lattice, and the arch — 
all constructed of iron, in one or more of its forms. The tubular> invented by 
Bobert Stephenson, although materially aided by Fairbairn, will always, we 
think, be regarded as one of the great ideas of the nineteenth century. It is a 
straight, hollow, rectangular tube. The Britannia bridge is the grandest 
specimen ; for its longest span or reach, between supports, is 459 feet. But 
long as it is, it was lifted in one piece 100 feet high, to its present postion- 
The Victoria bridge has no span of equal length, nor was it elevated in the 
same way. 

The suspension, in its crude forms, is of ancient date. It is found in all 
lands, but until later years it has never received the indorsement of engineers 
as the reliable support of railway trains y and in this respect it can hardly be 
said to have thoroughly disarmed sound criticism, when we claim we are build- 
ing something that is truly permanent. It possesses some qualities that will 
always render it popular. It can be constructed more easily in many positions, 
A much greater span can be obtained than by any other known method, and 
the cost is comparatively less. Perhaps this last feature can be understood 
when we remember that the Niagara bridge, with a span of 821 feet, was built 
for less than the yearly interest on the sum expendod on the Britannia bridge. 
Its general construction is well known. In Europe, the prominent specimens 
are the Menai, by Telford, with a span of 580 feet, and the Freyburg, in Switzer- 
land, with a span of 870 feet. In this country, Ellet and Roebling have identi- 
fied themselves with the Wheeling, Niagara, Cincinnati, and other bridges. 
Ellet constructed the Wheeling bridge, 1,000 feet span, which failed to with- 



120 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

stand tho winds ; yet Mr. Ellet was a great man. Mr. Roebling may be 
regarded as the great exponent of the suspension bridge in this country. His 
reputation may well be envied ; for while the great engineers of Europe were 
declaring it was impossible, he went on with the Niagara bridge ; and now, 
after eighteen years' successful usage, it has caused the engineers of the old 
world to reverse their theories. 

He built the Cincinnati bridge, and if, in future times, the suspension shall 
have become recognized as a thoroughly safe, permanent structure for railway 
trains, to Mr. Roebling, more than any other, will the credit belong. 

The lattice bridge has been and is now a very popular type of bridge. The 
name will readily convey a correct impression of its general construction. In 
some respects it is preferable to the tubular. It is less costly and is less rigid, 
which some claim to be an advantage. As fine a specimen of this kind, per- 
haps, as can be seen anywhere, is at Cologne, over the Rhine. Its longest 
reach is 330 feet. It is, however, liable to oscillation. 

But yielding everything to the suspension and the lattice that can with reason 
be claimed for them, it is questionable whether they possess the elements of 
perpetuity equally with the arch. We know arch bridges have endured for 
centuries ; we do not yet know how long a railway suspension, tubular, or 
lattice bridge will continue. 

The first cast-iron arch bridge was built in 1779, with a span of 100 feet. 
Many other iron arch bridges have been successfully constructed. They have 
always been highly esteemed for their strength and durability. The great 
drawback, perhaps, has been an inability to construct them with a span so 
wide as to compare favorably with those of other styles. In England, the 
largest is the Southwark, with a span of 240 feet and a rise of 24 feet. Note 
this fact, and remember the length of the Britannia, 459 feet, and the length of 
the Cologne, 330 feet, and then the importance of the St. Louis bridge, with its 
span of 520 feet, will appear. * 

Its form is as enduring as any tested by the experience of ages. Its size 
surpasses that of any, when we consider the true comparison, the length of 
span. Its material, cast-steel, is the best in the world, ranking with wrought- 
iron in the ratio of two to one. 

The importance of the St. Louis bridge is still further increased when we 
consider its foundations, their depth, their mode of construction, and the 
attendant difficulties. 

Other engineers of great eminence have proposed the erection of bridges of 
greater span than this, but it rarely occurs that the location and conditions 
of the case justify, as in this one, such bold grasp of mind on the part of the 
engineer, with the no less accompaniment of a proper manifestation of publie 
spirit on the part of capitalists to oarry out his design. 

Mr. Latrobo, a noted engineer of Baltimore, has expressed his opinion upon 
tho construction of a bridge at St. Louis. He favored the use of piers higher 
than those of the present plan, requiring a stationary engine to draw the cars 
from either side to the center in passing over. He also advocated the use of 
spans 400 and 500 feet in length. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 121 

That modern engineers are anticipating something altogether superior to the 
past achievements, the following remarks of Mr. Koebling are evidence. 
He says : 

" It was left to modern engineering, by the application of the principle 
of suspension, and by the use of wrought-iron, to solve the problem of span- 
ning large rivers without intermediate supports. Cast and wrought-iron 
arches, of 100 feet and more, have been quite successful. Nor can it be said 
the limit of arching has been reached. Timber arches of much greater span 
have stood for years, and have rendered good service in this country as well as 
on the continent of Europe. It is worthy of notice, however, and to be cited 
as a curious professional circumstance, that the best form of material, so pro- 
fusely applied by nature in her elaborate constructions, has never been used in 
arching, although proposed on several occasions. This form is unquestionably 
the cylindrical, combined in small sections, as is illustrated by vegetable and 
animal structures. Where strength is to be combined with lightness and ele- 
gance, nature never wastes heavy, cumbrous masses. The architects of the 
middle ages fully illustrated this by their beautiful buttresses and flying 
arches, combinations of strength and stability, executed with the least amount 
of material. 

" The wrought-iron pipe, now manufactured of all sizes and in such great 
perfection, offers to the engineer a material for arching which cannot be 
excelled. A wire cable, composed of an assemblage of wires, constitutes the 
best catenary arch for the suspension of great weights ; and, as a parallel to 
this, if the catenary is reversed, the best upright arch for the support of a 
bridge may be formed by an assemblage of wrought-iron pipes, of one and a half 
or two inches diameter or more. Arches of 1,000 feet span and more may be 
rendered practicable and safe upon this system. I venture to predict that the 
two great rival systems of future bridge engineering will be the inverted and 
upright arch — the former made of wire, and the latter of pipe, both systems 
rendered stable by the assistance of lattice work, or by stays, trusses, and 
girders." 

It has already been stated that the bridge to be built at St. Louis is to be 
made of cast-steel ; and in the meantime, extensive experiments have been 
going on to thoroughly test the strength of the metal, and no possible precaution 
will be neglected or effort omitted to make this bridge a complete and perfect 
success. Although not so great in length as the Victoria bridge over the St. 
Lawrence, which is nearly two miles long, nor the bridge over the Nebudda, in 
Intiia, which is one and a half miles long, nor the bridge from Bassein to the 
main land, which is over three miles long, yet its magnificent spans and stately 
piers place it far above these bridges in character and structure. And when 
once built it will be grander than the Colossus at Ehodes, grander than the 
Pharos at Alexandria. It will vitalize the commerce of the Mississippi Valley, 
and unite the great railway chains between New York and San Francisco, the 
Lakes and the Gulf. When completed, it will place the name of its builder, 
Capt. James B. Eads, with those of Telford, Smeaton, Stephenson, and other 



122 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

distinguished engineers of the world. Mr. Bads already stands prominent as 
one of the most enterprising and public-spirited citizens of St. Louis ; and 
should this bridge enterprise, in which he is more prominent than any other, 
prove successful, his character and reputation will become the public property 
of the country, even as the bridge itself will be. Almost proverbial for the 
invariable success attending everything he undertakes, and with a world-wide 
reputation for practical ingenuity and indomitable energy, we hail his promi- 
nent identification with this work as an assurance of its successful completion. 
To him, and to the enlightened, public-spirited citizens who have pledged their 
capital and influence to sustain the enterprise, will justly belong the glory that 
will surely attach to the St. Louis Bridge. 



PROPOSED UNION DEPOT. 



Cotemporaneous with the completion of the great bridge will be the 
necessity for a grand Union Passenger Depot in St. Louis, where all the 
railroads leading into the city could receive, deposit, and exchange their 
passengers with comfort and convenience to the traveling public as well as 
with economy and dispatch to the different railroad companies. Every day 
the need of such a building is more and more apparent to the leading railroad 
interests and the community, as the bridge now constructing approaches its 
completion. 

Acting, therefore, at the suggestion of some of the most prominent and 
controlling representatives of the railroads leading into this city, and at their 
request, the Executive Committee of the Bridge Company have selected a site 
and prepared plans for a proposed structure, which, through their chairman; 
William Taussig, Esq., they have already submitted to railroad companies and 
the public. 

After examining the whole line of the tunnel, from the end of the bridge to 
its terminus near the Pacific Eailroad track, with a view to a grand Central 
Depot, the site has been selected, convenient for all the railroads, and central to 
the business of the bridge. 

The buildings have been devised with a view to furnishing all the necessary 
office rooms for the different railroad companies, and their necessary adjuncts, 
express and fast freight lines, telegraph, &c, &c, thus combining everything to 
secure the prompt dispatch of business, and offer all possible inducements to 
trade and traffic. 

The business of the railroads will require at least twelve tracks under the 
streets and in the depot. The offices for the different railroad, including 
express and freight companies, can be accommodated above the track, and 
communicate with it by flights of steps and by elevators. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 128 

DESCRIPTION OP DEPOT BUILDINGS AND TKACKb. 

The depot buildings will occupy the three blocks from Fifth to Eighth street, 
between Washington avenue and Green street. 

The " track-floor," which will be 20 feet below the level of the streets, will 
be 297 feet wide, and in length extending from Fifth to Eighth street, with the 
necessary space east of Fifth street and west of Eighth street to enter the 
tunnel at either end. 

There will be ten tracks between Washington avenue and Green street and 
four tracks under Washington avenue. There well be six platforms from 20 
to 24 feet wide, with broad stairs from the platforms to the waiting-rooms 
above. 

The ten tracks under the three blocks will be inclosed by arched walls three 
feet thick, and heavy retaining walls on the south side of Washington avenue 
and under the curb of the southern sidewalk on Green street. 

The streets — namely, Washington avenue, Sixth and Seventh streets— will be 
supported on iron columns, girders, and joists, and covered with Nicholson 
pavement. 

The interior walls of the building will be supported on iron columns and 
girders. 

The entire three blocks will be covered with buildings, the exterior walls of 
which will be built of cast-iron, and the interior walls of brick. 

The group of buildings covering the block from Fifth to Sixth street will be 
four stories high, with French roof above ; in the first story, and in the west 
end of the block, six baggage rooms for the railroads, with elevators for 
baggage from the platforms below, and track to distribute baggage from room 
to room. 

On the lower story of this building will be the office, reading-room, billiard 
and bar room, table-d'hote, barber shop, wash room, &c, &c, of the hotel. 
There will be an open court in the interior of this building, which will be 
entered from Sixth street, with a large light-shaft in the same to track -floor 
below, also an entrance on Fifth street. 

The third and fourth stories of the building to be appropriated to Quests' 
rooms, and the fifth story, or French roof, to the kitchen, laundry, and general 
stores, boilers, machinery, and the general working departments of the hotel 
This fifth story to be reached by four large elevators : one to serve the ordinaiy 
on second floor, and table-d'hote on first floor ; one for passengers, and one for 
baggage ; and one for general use, elevating of stores, fuel, &c. On the first 
floor, in Green street, will be a yard in connection with the elevator for the 
reception of stores, fuel, &c. Also in the yard will be contained the receptacle 
for the kitchen refuse, &c, conveyed from thence by large iron pipes. The 
water and soil from laundry, &c, to be conveyed to sewers beneath the track- 
floor. 

In the first story of the block between Sixth and Seventh streets will be the 
ladies' and gentlemen's waiting-rooms, ticket and telegraph offices, with stairs 
from the waiting-rooms to the tracks below. These waiting-rooms will be 



124 ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 

provided with ample accommodations for washing, &c. ; and with stairs from 
the eastern ladies' waiting-room to the hotel above. 

There will be room for seven large offices on Washington avenue, and seven 
on Green street — eight of them 23 by 46 feet; two, 30 by 40 feet; two, 35 by 
46, and two 18 by 46 feet. 

In the first story, from Seventh to Eighth street, there will be fourteen 
offices on Washington avenue and Green street : twelve, 23 by 46 feet, and two 
18 by 46 feet. On Eighth street, Washington avenue, and Green street, there 
will be three large express offices. Those on Washington avenue and Green 
street will be 113 by 46 feet, and that on Eighth street 132 by 45 feet. 

The express offices will be furnished with every convenience, as elevators for 
raising and lowering goods from platforms on track-floor belosv. 

In the second, third, and fourth stories of these buildings will be 330 large 
and commodious offices and rooms, independent of those designed for guests' 
rooms in the hotel. These rooms will be furnished with all modern conve- 
niences, and will be accessible by commodious stairs at proper intervals, and 
have communication to same from balconies around the court, over track- 
floors. 

The whole space between the buildings on Washington avenue and Green 
street, from the east side of Sixth street to the rear of buildings on Eighth 
street, will be covered by a dome-shaped glass roof, and will be 700 feet long 
by 135 feet wide. 

The track-floor, besides being lighted by the glass roof, will be illuminated 
from the sidewalk, by Hyatt's patent lights, all around the building. 

It is proposed to make the building practically fire-proof, by the substitution 
of iron for beams, girders, joists, partitions, etc. 

The general style of the exterior will be Franco-Italian, and, being of iron, 
will necessarily be ornate. 

RAILROADS. 

The following roads will use the Passenger Depot — all of them, except those 
marked *, having their lines now running into the city : 

1. The Missouri Pacific. 

2. The North Missouri. 

.a. The St. Louis, Council Bluffs and Omaha j* 

b. The St. Louis and Keokuk j* both coming in on the North Missouri 
Eailroad track. 

3. The South Pacific. 

4. The Iron Mountain. 

5. The St. Louis and Indianapolis. 

6. The St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute. 

7. The St. Louis and Chicago. 

8. The Ohio and Mississippi. 

9. The Decatur and East St. Louis. 

10. The Eockford, Eock Island and St. Louis. 

11. The St. Louis and Belleville, and its Eastern connections. 

12. The St. Louis and South-Eastern. 



ST. LOUIS, THE FUTURE GREAT CITY. 125 

It is proposed to use smoke-consuming engines for the purpose of bringing 
trains into and out of the tunnel and depot. By deadening the floors and 
opei'ating the trains with signals, no noise will be created, and the occupants 
and guests above will suffer no inconvenience from that cause. 

This is a gigantic scheme involving a large expenditure, but it is more com- 
prehensive in its objects, more thorough in its arrangements, and will command 
greater capabilities than any passenger depot ever before devised ; and now is 
the fitting time for all the important interests concerned to secure its manifold 
advantages. 

Before the buildings included in the design can be finished, the bridge across 
the Mississippi, opposite Washington avenue, will be completed, and the twelve 
railroads enumerated will be pouring into the city a vast amount of trade and 
travel, which will require corresponding facilities for their proper accommoda- 
tion. 

From the opening of the bridge will date the most rapid growth of railroad 
business consequent upon the continuity of the tracks across the river, and the 
disappearance forever of all the annoyances and expenses of ferrying, which 
are now unavoidable. At all hours of the day and night trains will then arrive 
and depart from the Union Passenger Depot, in every direction, without 
impediment, with perfect convenience to the traveling public. St. Louis will 
then at once take rank in public estimation as the most attractive railroad city 
6f the interior. 

No railroad now constructed, or that may hereafter be constructed, across 
the continent can fail to contribute its share of trade and travel to this point. 

A city thus situated, which in fifteen years, with its railroad system yet in 
its infancy, has grown from a population of 80,000 to more than 300,000, may 
with certainty anticipate a further rapid augmentation of population and 
business, demanding extraordinary efforts on the part of her enterprising 
citizens. St. Louis will soon be one of the largest, if not the largest, iron and 
steel manufacturing points in the United States, which will add immensely 
both to the river and railroad traffic, and demand greater facilities for its 
commercial exchange. In fact, the entire business interests of the city 
demand a great Union Depot as an adjunct or oomplete provision for the 
business of the bridge. 



APPENDIX. 



HISTORICAL AND COMMERCIAL REVIEW OF ST. LOUIS. 



In the preceding volume we have endeavored to present the facts and 
circumstances which foreshadow the destiny of St. Louis — a destiny so 
important that not only the people of the Mississippi Yalley but of this 
nation, and even of the world, are interested. 

The spirit of modern civilization is different in its operation and character 
from the social forces of by-gone eras. It is more catholic in its objects, more 
active and concentrated in its energy, and has wonderfully abridged the time 
formerly necessary for historical events to work out their accomplishment. 
Under the singular velocity it has imparted, the scenes and changes of the 
human drama are enacted so swiftly that the prophecy of to-day is either 
authenticated or disproven by the developments of to-morrow. It is this fact 
which gives us confidence in proclaiming the destiny of St. Louis as we have 
represented it in this book. Already the currents of our civic and political 
progress are shaping towards its development, and it will not require many 
years to make it more clearly evident. There are many now who believe in 
the future of St. Louis as the leading city of the continent and the Capital of 
United States, who two years ago looked with incredulity upon such prognos- 
tications, and regarded them as mere dreams of ardent minds. The agitation 
of the question has also spread abroad the fame of our stately and expanding 
city, and a conviction of the glorious future before her is growing rapidly, not 
only among our own citizens, but among those disconnected in everyway with 
our municipal interests. 

Believing earnestly as we do in this future, our object is to foster an intel- 
ligent anticipation of it in the public mind ; and if our volume assists towards 
this end it will not have been written in vain, and the time and labor necessary 
to group and present the facts and argument it contains will be amply repaid. 

\Yq cannot consider our work complete without some review of the history 
of St. Louis. The Past often interprets the Future, and is always interesting 
in connection with it ; and, as an appropriate appendix, we presont the following 
historical review, with which is incorporated some valuable and significant 
statistics illustrating our present social and commercial condition. 



128 APPENDIX. 



POLITICAL CONDITION OF NORTH AMERICA PRIOR TO THE FOUNDING OF ST. LOUIS. 

The 15th of February, 1764, may be accepted as the exact date of the 
first settlement on the site of St. Louis, and the name of Pierre Ligueste 
Laclede may justly appear in history as the founder of the city.* It is difficult 
to realize that scarce a century has elapsed since the solitude and silence of 
the forest primeval reigned over a scene now covered with the countless 
buildings of a stately city and pulsating with the life of busy thousands. 
There is, however, no doubt as to the date given, as it is a matter, if not of 
official record, yet so authenticated by collateral circumstances as to eliminate 
nearly all uncertainty. At the time of the event the political condition (if we 
may so speak of a vast territory for the most part terra incognita) of the North 
American continent was somewhat confused as to ownership and boundary. 
England, France and Spain held nominal possession of vast regions, but with 
so little certainty of title or jurisdiction that their rival claims would probably 
have remained an endless source of dispute and conflict had they not been in a 
measure decided by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. This treaty, how- 
ever, embraced no adjustment of boundaries, which was practically impossible 
at the time, but provided for the restitution of conquests made from each other 
by the powers named, and it was not many years after followed by war between 
France and England. The leading cause of the conflict was the action of the 
former power in establishing a line of military posts along the lakes and the 
Ohio and Mississippi rivers, for the purpose of connecting her Canadian pos- 
sessions with the countr} T bordering the Mississippi river southwardly, over 
which she also claimed jurisdiction. The bittor and sanguinary hostilities 
which ensued were terminated by the treaty of Paris, consummated on the 
16th of February, 1763, and which closed the celebrated seven years' war on 
the European continent. The result of this treaty practically left England and 
Spain the possession of North America. The former retained the Atlantic 
seaboard colonies, and acquired the Canadas and Louisiana, lying east of the 
Mississippi, except the town of New Orleans and its territory. She also 
obtained the Floridas from Spain, by restoring to that power Havana and the 
greater part of the island of Cuba. By a secret treaty of the same date France 
ceded the country west of the Mississippi, and known by the general designation 
of Louisiana, to Spain, but of this illimitable territory little if anj^thing was 
then definitely known. 

When we remember the tardy means of communication at this period 
between the Old and New Worlds, it is easy to understand the delay and 
difficulty in giving any practical effect to the terms of this treaty. It does not 
appear that Spain exercised any general jurisdiction over the territory acquired 
until the year 1768, although in the spring of 1764 L'Abadie, the Spanish 
Governor-General, was instructed to formally promulgate the transfer made 

* Notwithstanding the apparently conclusive reasons lor believing that the true family name of the 
founder of St. Louis was Ligueste rather than Laclede, we have adopted the latter in this sketch as the 
more popular and familiar to the majority of readers. 



APPENDIX. 129 

under the treaty. The immense territory of Louisiana, the upper portion of 
which bore the name of "The Illinois," consequently remained under French 
laws and jurisdiction throughout its scant and widely separated settlements 
until 1768. The English wore more prompt in claiming actual control of the 
territory ceded by the treaty of 1763, and vigorous measures were taken in 
various directions to obliterate the evidence of French domination. In the 
\ i'inity of St. Louis, east of the Mississippi, Fort de Chartres, one of the 
military posts established by Prance along the line of her frontier, was sur- 
rendered to Capt. Sterling, of the English arm}*, in 1765, under the treaty of 
Paris. This fort was situated in the American Bottom, a short distance above 
Kaskaskia, and the French commander at the time of the surrender, St. Ange 
de Bellerive, removed with his troops to the west side of the Mississippi, on 
the 17th of July, 1765, to the settlement on the site of the present city of St. 
Louis, which had been made about seventeen months before. Without going 
into the details of English and Spanish occupancy, we will proceed to the 
history of St. Louis proper. 

THE LACLEDE EXPEDITION ITS OBJECT AND CHARACTER. 

Pierre Ligueste Laclede has left but faint traces in history prior to the time 

when his name becomes identified with the founding of St. Louis. He was 

born in one of the French provinces bordering on the Pyrenees, and aj)pears 

to have emigrated to Southern Louisiana with the design of trading with the 

Indians, bringing with him credentials from the Court of France that secured 

him the consideration of the authorities. The New World then offered an 

old for adventurous minds, and many young men crossed the Atlantic 

• . mpelled either by that thirst for gold which at one time created 

n Rl Dorado beyond the Western Ocean, or the desire to explore 

ment whose mighty natural features astonished Europe. It is 

able Laclede was in part actuated by both these motives, but he was 

neither a mere gold-hunter nor a reckless adventurer. Although little is 

known of his history, except during the period embraced between the years 

1763, the }*ear before the founding of St. Louis, and 1778, the year of his 

death, we can clearly gather the prominent traits of his character. He was 

brave, self-reliant, and resolute, and his idea of fortune-making in the New 

World was based on the sober expectation that there was ample opportunity 

for energy and enterprise in developing the trade in peltries and other articles 

with the native tribes that roamed over the boundless country of forest and 

prairie. How long he remained in New Orleans prior to engaging in his 

famous expedition northward is not ascertainable, but it appears probable that 

he was there for a considerable time. 

In 1762 D'Abadie, Governor-General, granted to Laclede, in connection with 
other associates, a charter under the name of " The Louisiana Fur Companv," 
which conferred the exclusive privilege of trading "with the Indians of the 
Missouri, and those west of the Mississippi above the Missouri, as far north as 
the River St. Peters." Antoine Maxent and others were interested equally 



130 APPENDIX. 

with Laclede in the franchises acquired, but he appears to have been the active 
and leading spirit of the association. Befoi-e entering upon some account of 
the first expedition organized under the auspices of this chartered company, 
and which resulted in the founding of St. Louis, it is necessary to glance at 
the progress made at the time in the settlement and exploration of Upper 
Louisiana. 

The town or city of New Orleans was the capital of the Louisianas, being in 
fact the onl} T place of any size or importance in the valley of the Mississippi. 
The immense territory on either side of the great river northward was very 
imperfectly known, for although partially explored by Marquette, Hennepin, 
La Salle, Cartier and others, but little accurate information had been gained as 
to its topograph}' and inhabitants. The great Valley, the destiny of which, as 
the center of our nation's wealth and prosperity, is now so rapidly developing, 
was then in its primitive condition, with the exception of a few scattered set- 
tlements whose people struggled for an existence amid the unfriendly influences 
of a ti-ying climate and an unsubdued wilderness. Above New Orleans there 
was a settlement of some consequence in the vicinity of the present city of 
Natchez, but from that point to Ste. Genevieve there were but few ti-aces of 
human occupation. On the eastern side of the Mississippi a few settlements 
had been formed at Fort de Chartres and vicinity, St. Phillips, Kaskaskia, 
Oahokia and some other points, but they were comparatively insignificant and 
had sprung up under the fostering influences of French military protection. 
The trade in lead, oils and peltries had concentrated at Ste. Genevieve, then a 
post of some importance, with several small settlements in its vicinity, and 
which bore the name of La Poste de Ste. Genevieve. The settlers at the places 
named were nearly all of that adventurous type of character usually to be 
found among the pioneers of civilization in a wild continent peopled only by 
barbaric and nomadic tribes. They included, however, many persons of refine- 
ment and education who had come from France or Spain to seek their fortunes 
in the New World, and were as a body of men consequently different from the 
moro reckless and uncouth pioneers of a later date who have pushed westward 
the boundai'ies of the Union against the ineffectual struggles of the Indian 
tribes. 

The only inducement at this period for any persons to penetrate Occidental 
Louisiana or "The Illinois," was the prospect of trade in furs or minerals, or the 
love of exploration and adventure, and it is only the daring and resolute who 
are willing to embark in such pursuits : but notwithstanding this, these pioneers 
appear to have managed the fierce aborigines with more discretion than their 
successors, who inaugurated an unextinguishable war. 

Such was the condition of the Mississippi Valley as to settlement at the period 
indicated. The rule of the red man had been impinged upon but not broken, 
and the active ami aggressive foreigners had as yet wrought little change upon 
the face of nature. Notwithstanding the time that had elapsed since De Soto 
discovered tin' Mississippi to the South and Marquette and Joliet to the North, 
the explorations of the river and its tributaries and the region through which 



APPENDIX. 131 

it flowed had not been of an accurate or exhaustive character, and the devel- 
opment even of the fur trade was insignificant. Beyond the mouth of the 
Missouri the white man bad made little or no progress, and whatever trade was 
carried on between New Orleans and the country north of the mouth of the 
Ohio originated south of the present site of St. Louis. 

THE FOUNDING OF ST. LOUIS. 

In the summer of 1763, an expedition was organized in New Orleans for the 
purpose of carrying into operation the powers conferred in the charter granted 
by Governor D'Abadie to Laclede and his associates. The immediate object in 
view was the establishing of a permanent trading post and settlement on some 
advantageous place north of the settlements then existing. Laclede was the 
prominent personage in organizing the expedition, and it left New Orleans 
under his command on the 3d day of August, 1763. It is impossible to 
procure accurate information respecting the size and character of the party 
participating in the expedition, but it was probably not very numerous and 
was composed mainly of hunters and trappers accustomed to the hardships and 
dangers of such enterpiises. The means of transportation were the strong 
heavily-fashioned boats then in use, in which was stored a large quantity of 
such merchandise as was necessary for trade with the Indians. 

The voyage up the Mississippi was a tedious one, and three months after the 
departure from New Orleans, or on the 3d of October, the expedition reached 
Ste. Genevieve. This town, which was founded about 1755, and is perhaps the 
oldest settlement in Missouri, was then a place of some consequence and the 
nch post on the west bank of the river. The intention of Laclede was 
place further north, and after a short stop at Ste. Genevieve the party 
lurse, their destination now being Fort de Chartres, to which 
place ; aclede had an invitation from the military commander, and where he 
t and store his goods while exploring the country for a suit- 
able location for the proposed trading post. At the time of the arrival of the 
expedition the fort was commanded by M. de Neyon de Yilliers, who, although 
of a haughty disposition, appears to have welcomed the party with kindness 
and hospitality. The energetic spirit of Laclede did not permit him to remain 
inactive for any length of time while the object of the expedition was unac- 
complished, and a few weeks after his arrival at Fort de Chartres he started 
with a portion of his party towards the mouth of the Missouri. Among those 
who accompanied him were two brothers, Pierre and Auguste Chouteau, whose 
family name is thoroughly- identified with the history of St. Louis. The pros- 
pecting party started in the beginning of February, 1764, and they went as far 
as the mouth of the Missouri, but without fixing upon a site for the post. On 
their return along the western shore, Laclede landed at the sweeping curve of 
the river on which now stands the city of St. Louis, and impressed by its 
pleasant aspect of woodland and prairie swelling westward from the river, he 
determined to establish hen- the settlement and post he desired. This memo- 
rable event occurred on the 15th of February, 1764) and Laclede having selected 



132 



APPENDIX. 



the site immediately proceeded to clear away trees and mark out the lines of a 
town which he named St. Louis in honor of Louis XV of France, evidently 
ignorant at the time that this monarch had transferred to Spain the whole 
country west of the Mississippi. 

When Laclede and his men selected their trading station, the marvels of its 
future development were undreamed of. Around them lay a limitless and 
untrodden wilderness, peopled only by tribes of savage and unfriendly Indians, 
and in which subsistence could only be obtained by the chase. It is only 
when we thus contemplate our ancestors struggling with unconquerable energy 
and daring, amid innumerable dangers and hardships, that we properly esti- 
mate their worth and character. It is only then that we realize that the 
natural advantages of the location chosen formed only one element in the 
colossal result of their work. The others are to be found in those motives and 
heroic qualities which give stabilit}- and nobleness to human actions. It is 
pleasant and inspiring to see in the historical perspective of our city samples 
of frugality fortitude and self-reliance, for these are the only foundations for 
a community upon which prosperity can be immutably erected. 

SUCCEEDING HISTORICAL EVENTS. 

Laclede's party had been increased somewhat in numbers b}- volunteers from 
Ste. Genevieve, Fort de Chartres and Cahokia, then called " Notre Dames des 
Kahokias," but still numerically it was but a small band, and could have made 
no sustained resistance to Indians had they disputed their right to settlement. 
It does not appear, however, that the pioneers encountered any hostility from 
the natives. JSot long after their arrival a large body of Missouri Indians visited 
the vicinity, but without unfriendly intent. They did not belong to the more 
war-like tribes, and being in an impoverished condition all they wanted was 
provisions and other necessaries. The settlers were in no condition to support 
their visitors, but as they were equally unprepared to provoke their hostility 
their arrival caused no small uneasiness, and it is said a few of Laclede's party 
apprehending trouble, recrossed the river and returned to Fort de Chartres or 
Cahokia. By judicious management and by announcing the anticipated arrival 
of French troops from the fort, Laclede finally succeeded in inducing the Indians 
to depart, very much to the satisfaction of his people. After some progress 
had been made in the actual establishment of a settlement, Laclede returned 
to Fort de Chartres to make arrangements for the removal to St. Louis of the 
goods left there, as it was expected that the fort would soon be surrendered to 
the English. During the ensuing year this event took place as before stated, 
and Louis St. Ange de Bellerive, the French commander, removed with his 
officers and troops, numbering about fifty men, to St. Louis on the 17th of July, 
1765 ; and from this date the new settlement was considered the capital of Upper 
Louisiana. At this time M. Aubrey was Commandant-General at New Orleans, 
M. D'Abadio having died during the preceding year, as stated in Marbois' 
History of Louisiana, from the effects of grief at the transfer to Spain of the 
French possessions. 



APPENDIX. 133 

St. Ange, on arriving at St. Louis, at once assumed supremo control of 
affairs, contrary to the treaty of Paris. There was indeed no person who could 
have conforred upon him this authority, but there was none to dispute it. 
Nearly all of the settlers at St. Louis and other posts in the valley of the 
Mississippi were of French nationality or accustomed to the rule of France. 
In Lower Louisiana the promulgation of the terms of the treaty was received 
with intense dissatisfaction, which was also the case at St. Louis when the 
intelligence was subsequently announced there. The authority of Spain could 
not at this time be practicall}- enforced, and the inhabitants of St. Louis not 
onl}- submitted to the authority of St. Ange, but appear to have welcomed his 
arrival with satisfaction. He proved a mild and politic Governor, fostering 
the growth and development of the now settlement and ingratiating himself 
with the people. lie maintained friendly relations with the Indians, and was 
instrumental in inducing Pontiac, the famous chief of the Ottawas, to abandon 
his fierce crusade against the English. Between Laclede and St. Ange the most 
friendly relations existed. An important act of the latter was the formal issuing 
of land grants to citizens of St. Louis, the recording of which in the " Livre 
Terrien" conferred titles to land granted them by the former, and formed the 
basis of a simple land system. 

ST. LOUIS IN EARLY DAYS. 

The extent of the town in its early days, if it did not form some faint 
prophecy of future development, still clearly proves that more than a mere 
trading post was intended by the founders. The principal street (La Rue 
Principale) ran along the line of Main street of to-day, extending from about 
id to Morgan street. The next west was about the same length, and 
corresponded to the present Second street, and, after the erection of a church 
unity of the present site of the Catholic Cathedral, reooived the name 
of Church street (La Rue de l'Eglise). The next street, now Third, was origi- 
nally known as Barn street from the number of buildings on it of tho character 
indicated. In mentioning these streets, however, we speak of a time many 
3'ears subsequent to the arrival of Laclede. Before the topographical features 
of the present site of our city wore altered by the course of improvements 
the}' were materially different from the present. Most of our citizens will find 
it hard to realize that originally a rocky bluff extendod on the river front from 
about Walnut to Vine street with a precipitous descent in many places. As 
building progressed this bluff was cut away, and the appearance of a sharp but 
tolerably even incline to the river from Main street was gained. At the corner 
of Commercial alley and Chestnut street and at several other places there are 
at present palpable evidences of this rocky ridge, portions of it yet remaining. 
At first it is probable the Laclede settlement bore the appearance of a rude and 
scattered hamlet in the wilderness, and it required the growth of several years 
beforo the semblance of streets was formed by even imperfect lines of buildings 
of the most primitive character. Immediately west of the bluff mentioned 
was a nearly level strip of land protected by gentle elevations westward, and 



134 APPENDIX. 

here was the site of the Laclede settlement. The river front was covered with 
a growth of timber, in the rear of which was a large and gently rolling prairie 
with scattered groves of heavy forest trees, which received the title of "Le 
Grande Prairio/' and it is not difficult to believe that if the selection of the 
spot was not made because of its adaptability as the site of a great city it was 
because of its natural pleasantness and beauty. 

THE YEARS OF SPANISH CONTROL. 

In 1766 an effort was made by Spain to assume control of the territory ceded 
to her by the treaty of Paris, and General Don Antonio D'Ulloa arrived at New 
Orleans with Spanish troops, but owing to the hostile feeling of the inhabitants 
he finally departed without attempting to exercise the powers of Governor. 
The rule of France was maintained in Lower Louisiana Until the arrival of 
Count O'Eeilly in 1769, who took possession of the Territory and New Orleans, 
obliterating forcibly French supremacy and strengthening his authority by 
severe measures towards the more active adherents of France. 

The scattered settlements of Upper Louisiana, although equally opposed to 
Spanish authority, had no adequate means of resistance ; and when Eios, a 
Spanish officer, arrived at St. Louis with a small body of troops, on the 11th of 
August, 1768, he only encountered a passive hostility. He took possession of 
the country in the name of his Catholic Majesty, but does not appear to have 
exercised any civil authority, as the archives show that St. Ange acted as Gov- 
ernor until the beginning of 1770. On the 17th of Julv, 1769, Eios and hie 
troops departed and returned to New Orleans to co-operate with Count O'Eeilly 
in enforcing Spanish authority in the lower Province. 

During the same year Pontiac, the Ottawa chief, arrived at St. Louis for the 
purpose of visiting his former friend, St. Ange de Bellerive, by whom he 
was cordially received. The visit was fatal to the Indian warrior, for, 
while on an excursion to the English {erritory on the other side of the river, 
he was killed by a Kaskaskia Indian. 

In the latter part of 1770, Count O'Eeilly having acquired full control of 
Lower Louisiana, determined to bring the upper Province into equal subjection. 
Ho appointed Don Pedro Piernas as Lieutenant-Governor and Military Com- 
mandant of the province, and dispatched him with troops to St. Louis, where 
he arrived on November 29th of the same year. He did not enter on the 
exercise of executive functions until the beginning of the following year, but 
the delay was not occasioned by any active hostility on the part of the people. 
From this event we may date the commencement of Spanish domination in 
Upper Louisiana. 

The new Governor, fortunately, proved an excellent administrative officer; 
and as his measures were mild and judicious, he soon conciliated the people. 
He made no abrupt changos in the laws, and improved the tenure of property 
by ordering accurate surveys and determining the lines of the land grants 
previously mado. Under the liberal policy of the Spanish Governor St. Louie 



APPENDIX. 135 

prospered rapidly, while immigration constantly added to the population. In 
1774 St. Ange do Bellerive, who had accepted military service under Piernas, 
died, and was buried in the Catholic cemetery with every mark of public 
esteem and respect. In his will he commended his soul "to God, the blessed 
Virgin, and the Saints of the Celestial Court," and appointed Laclede his 
executor. 

Emigration from tho Canadas and the lower Province increased rapidly 
under the benignant policy of Spain, and settlements sprang up at different 
points along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, some of which, however, date 
from a few years earlier. In 1767 Carondelet was founded by Delor do 
Tregette, and appears at firs-t to have beon known as Louisburgh, and at a 
different period as Vide Poche, but finally received its present name in honor 
of the Baron de Carondelet. In 1769 Les Pctitos Cotes, subsecmently St. 
Andrews, and now St. Charles, was founded by Blauchetto Chasseur. The first 
settlement at Florissant, afterwards called St. Ferdinand, was made by Beau- 
rosier Dunogant in 1776; and so the career of growth and prosperity was 
inaugurated in this portion of the Mississippi Valley. 

The successor of Piernas was Don Francisco Cruzat, who assumed office in 
1775, and was succeeded by Don Fernando de Leyba in 1778. It was during 
the administration of the latter that the death of Laclede took place, while on 
his way to New Orleans, at the age of fifty-four. He was buried near the 
mouth of the Arkansas river, June 20, 1778, amid the wild solitude of a 
region in which he had acted as the pioneer of civilization. 

The war which was now raging between Great Britain and her American 
colonies could hardly be unfelt on the far wostcrn shores of the Mississippi. 
Many of the inhabitants of St. Louis, and other places on the same side of the 
river, were persons who had changed their residence from the opposite shore 
when it passed under English rule. They were influenced by a hereditary 
hostility to that power; and although enjoying a mild government under 
Spanish rulers, their independent spirit, apart even from their feeling towards 
England, enlisted their sympathies in behalf of their colonial brethren in the 
East struggling for freedom. Their great distance did not secure their 
prosperity from the disastrous influences of war. It was known that Spam 
sympathized with the colonies, and this speedily endangered their security ; 
for the ferocity of many of the Indian tribes was directed against them by the 
English. 

In the early part of 1779 Col. Eogers Clark, under the authority of Virginia, 
visited the settlements of Cahokia, Kaskaskia, and other places, for the 
purpose of endeavoring to enlist men for an expedition against St. Vincents, 
now Vincennes, then held by tho English under Governor Hamilton. 

THE ATTACK ON ST. LOUIS BY INDIANS. 

About this time an alarming rumor bocame prevalont that an attack on St. 
Louis was being organized under British influence. Actuated by a spirit of 
generous chivalry, Clark offered tho assistance of himself and men to Lieut.- 



136 - APPENDIX. 

Gov. Leyba for the protection of the town, but his offer was declined on th 
ground that the danger was not imminent. (There seems to be some uncei 
taint}- as to this incident, but it is supported by the excellent authority c 
Judge Wilson Primm, and is corroborated by Stoddard in his historical sketc 
of Louisiana.) Whatever was the ground of the fancied security, the seque 
proves either that he was an execrable traitor or shamefully incompetent t 
meet the exigencies of tho time. Apprehensions, however, began to distur 
the people, and the defenseless condition of the town induced them to undei 
take some means of fortification. Although they numbered little more tha 
one hundred men, they proceeded to build a wall of logs and earth about fiv 
or six feet high, inclosing the dwellings of the settlement. It formed a sem 
circular line, with its ends terminating at the river, and supplied with thro 
gates, at each of which a heavy piece of ordnance was placed and kept i 
constant readiness. For some months after this work was completed, nothin 
occurred to indicate an Indian attack. Winter passed away, and the inhabit 
ants finally began to consider their apprehensions groundless, which conclusio 
was assisted by the assurances of tho Governor that there was no cause fo 
anxiety. In reality, however, the long pending attack w r as now being secretl 
organized. Numerous bands of Indians, composed of Ojibways, Winnebago? 
Sioux, and other tribes, with some Canadians, numbering in all nearly 1500 
had gathered on the eastern shore of the river, a little above St. Louis, am 
arrangements were consummated for a general attack on the setllement on th 
26th of May. 

The 25th of May, 1780, was tho festival of Corpus Christi, which was cele 
brated by the Catholic inhabitants with religious ceremonies and rejoicing 
There was no feeling of apprehension abroad just at this time, notwithstanding 
that an event calculated to arouse alarm had occurred but a few days before 
An old citizen named Quenello had crossed the river to Cahokia creek on i 
fishing excursion. While watching his lines he was startled to see on th< 
opposite shore of the creek a man named Ducharme, who had formerly live( 
in St. Louis and who had fled to escape punishment for some crime committed 
lie endeavored to induce Quenelle to come over to him, but the latter though 
he detected the presonce of Indians in the bushes opposito, and refused 
returning hastily in his canoe to the town, where he reported what hat 
occurred. The Commandant ridiculod his story, and it did not create anj 
general fear among the inhabitants. Corpus Christi was celebrated witl 
unusual animation, and a large number of the citizens left the inclosure of tin 
town and were scattered about tho prairie — men, women, and children — 
gathering strawberries. A portion of tho Indians crossed the river on th< 
same day, but fortunately did not make the attack, owing, probahly, to thei: 
not knowing how many of tho men had remained in the town. Had thej 
done so, the result would surely have been fatal to the young settlement. Oi 
tho following day the whole body of tho attacking force crossed, directing 
their course to tho fields over which they had seen tho inhabitants scatterec 
the day before. It fortunately happened that only a few of them were outsid< 
the town, and these, seeing the approach of the Indians, hastily retreatec 



APPENDIX. 137 

towards the upper gate, which course led them nearly through a portion of 
the hostile force. Eapid volleys were fired at the fleeing citizens, and the 
reports speedily spread the alarm in the town. Arms were hastily seized, and 
the men rushed bravely towards the wall, opening the gato to their defenseless 
comrades. There was a body of militia in the town from Ste. Genevieve, 
which had been sent up, under tho command of Silvia Francisco Cartabona, 
some time before, when apprehensions of an attack prevailed. This company, 
however, behaved shamefully and did not participate in the defense, man}' of 
them concealing themselves in tho houses while the fight was in pi'Ogress. 
The Indians approached the line of defense rapidly, and when at a short 
distance, opened an irregular fire, to which the inhabitants responded with 
light arms and discharges of grape-shot from their pieces of artillery. The 
resistance made was energetic and resolute, and the savage assailants seeing 
the strength of the fortifications and dismayed by the artillery, to which 
they were unaccustomed, finally retired, and the fight came to a close. 

Commandant Lcyba appeared upon the scene at this juncture, having been 
started from a carouse to some idea of the situation bj T the sound of the 
artillery. His conduct Avas extraordinary; he immediately ordered several 
pieces of ordnance which had been placed near the Government house to be 
spiked, and was then, as it is chronicled, rolled to the immediate scene of action 
11 in a icheelbairoic." He ordered the inhabitants to cease firing and return to 
their houses. Those stationed near the lower gate not hearing the command 
paid no attention to it, and he directed a cannon to bo fired at them. This bar- 
barous order was carried out, and the citizens only escaped the volley of grape 
by throwing themselves on tho ground, and the shot struck down a portion 
of the wall. The unparalleled treachery of the Commandant was fortunately 
exhibited too late to be of assistance to the Indians, who had been beaten back 
by the determined valor of the settlers, and the attack was not renewed. 
When they had left the vicinity, search was made for the bodies of the citizens 
who had been killed on the prairie, and between twenty and thirty lives were 
ascertained to have been lost. Several old men, women and children were 
among tho victims, and all the bodies had been horribly mutilated by their 
murderers. 

The traitorous conduct of the Commandant, which so nearly imperiled tho 
existence of tho town, had been obvious to tho poople generally ; and justly 
indignant at his cruel rascalit}*, means were at once taken to transmit a full 
report of his proceedings to Galvez, then Governor of Lower Louisiana. This 
resulted in the prompt removal of Leyba, and tho settlement was again placed 
under the authority of Cruzat. Leyba died the same year from the effects, it 
is said, of poison administered by his own hand ; universal obloquy and reproach 
having rendered his life unendurable. He was buried in the village church, 
"in front of tho right-hand balustrade, having received all the sacraments of 
our mother the Holy Church," as is set forth in tho burial certificate of Father 
Bernard, a "Catholic Priest, Apostolic Missionaiy Curate of St. Louis, country 
of Illinois, Province of Louisiana, Bishopric of Cuba." The year 1780, ren- 



138 APPENDIX. 

dered so memorable by this Indian attack, was afterwards known as " Z'anne 
du grande coup/' or "year of the great blow." 

There is no doubt but this assault on St. Louis had for its object the destruc- 
tion of the settlement, and was only frustrated by the gallantry of the people, 
that it was partially instigated by English influence is almost unquestionable. 
The Indians accepted their defeat and departed without attempting any other 
demonstration. It is said their retreat was occasioned by the appearance of 
Col. George Rogers Clark with four or five hundred Americans from Kaskaskia, 
but this is not substantiated. Pending the arrival of Cruzat, Cartabona, before 
mentioned, exercised the functions of Lieutenant-Governor, but, however, for 
only a short period. One of the first works undertaken by Cruzat was the 
strengthening of the fortifications; he established half a dozen or more stone 
forts, nearly circular in*shape, about fifty feet in diameter and twenty feet high, 
connected by a stout stockade of posts. The fortifications, as extended and 
improved by Cruzat, were quite pretentious for so small a settlement. On the 
river bank, near the spot formerly occupied by the Floating Docks, was a stone 
tower called tho "Half Moon" from its shape, and westwardly of it, near the 
present intersection of Broadway and Cherry street, was erected a square 
building called "The Bastion ;" south of this, on the line ofOlive street, a 
circular stone fort was situated. A similar building was built on Walnut street 
intended for service both as a fort and prison. There was also a fort near Mill 
Creek, and east of this another circular fort near the river. Tho strong stockade 
of cedar posts connecting these forts was piorcod with loop-holes for small arms. 
This well-dovised lino of defenses was not subjected to the test of another 
Indian attack, for although during the continuance of the Revolutionary war 
other settlements on tho Mississippi and Missouri rivers had to contend against 
the savages, St. Louis was not again molested. 

Prom this period the progress of St. Louis was slow but satisfactory under 
the liberal and judicious policy of the Spanish Governors, and it will be suffi- 
cient to note only the more important events. 

EARLY NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 

It is difficult to realize in these days tho perils and delays incident to tkc 
early navigation of the Mississippi. It is to us now the unobstructed and 
natural highway of commerce and travel, connecting tho West and far North 
with tho warm and fruitful South, and bearing to the ocean the various products 
of rich and populous regions. A hundred years ago it was no less majestic in 
its strength and beauty, but its ministrations to tho needs of civilized humanity 
had hardly begun; it rolled its splendid flood through a wild and solitary wil- 
derness, and tho sound of tho winds in the forost mingled with the monotone oi 
flowing waters in a murmurous iwthm that sunk or swelled only with the fluctua- 
tions of nature. There wore no towns along its banks, no rushing steamboats 
on its surface; and rarely only Indian canoes formed a transitory feature in its 
landscapes and the shouts of savage voices were heard. With the birth oi 
white settlements in tho great Yalley the solitude of the Father of Waters was 



APPENDIX. 139 

gradually invaded. In their rude craft the early voyageurs had to struggle 
hard against the swift current, and a voyage from New Orleans to St. Louis 
was then a thing of months, not of days, and required nearly as much prepara- 
tion as a one across the Atlantic. During Cruzat's second administration 
navigation was much impeded and disturbed by piratical bands which harbored 
at certain points on the woody shores and instituted a system of depredations 
on settlers or othors passing up and down the river. These bands were prin. 
cipally controlled by two men named Culbort and Magilbray, who had a per. 
manent rendezvous at a place called Cotton Wood Creek. The usual programme 
of the pirates was to attack the vessels of voyageurs at some place where a 
surprise could be readily effected, and having compelled the affrighted crews to 
seek safety on shore or by surrender, they would plunder the boats and the 
persons of prisoners of all valuables. The vicinity of Grand Tower, a lofty 
rock situated about half way between St. Louis and tho mouth of the Ohio, 
became a dreaded spot also through the deeds of these river marauders, and 
many tales exist in the memories of old citizens of acts of violence perpetrated 
near these places. Early in the }'ear 1787 an event occurred which inaugurated 
severe measures by tho government against the pirates, resulting in their dis- 
persion. M. Beausoliel, a Now Orleans merchant, started from New Orleans 
for St. Louis with a barge richly freighted with merchandise. A strong breeze 
prevailed as this vessel was approaching Cotton Wood Creek. The pirates 
were in waiting to make an attack, but wore frustrated by the swift progress 
of tho vessel, and they dispatched a body of men up the river for the purpose 
of heading off the expected prize. The point chosen for the attack was an 
island, since called Boausoliel's Island, and was reached in about two days. 
The barge had put ashore and was easily captured and the crew disarmed, 
when tho captors turned hor course down the river. On the way down 
an unexpected deliverance was effected through the daring of a negro named 
Casotte, who, by pretonding joy at the capture of the vessel, was left free 
and employed as a cook. He maintained a secret understanding with Beau- 
soliel and some of his men, and at a given signal the party effected a sud- 
den rising. They defeated the pirates after a brief struggle, who were all 
either killed or captured. Beausoliel deemed it prudent after this alarming 
experience to return to New Orleans, and in passing Cotton Wood Creek kept 
as near the opposite shore as possible. On reaching New Orleans a full report 
of tho doings of the pirates and the capture and doliverance of the barge was 
made public, and convinced tho authorities and tho people that strong measures 
were absolutely necessary to terminate theso perils to life and property on the 
river. The Governor issued an order that all boats bound for St. Louis the 
following spring should make the voyage together, thus insuring mutual pro- 
tection. This was carried out and a little fleet of ten boats started up tho 
river. On approaching Cotton Wood Creek, some of the mon in the foremost 
boat perceived some persons on shoro near tho mouth of the creek. A consul- 
tation was held with tho crows and passengers of the other boats, and it was 
determined that while a sufficient numbor of men should remain to protect tho 
boats the remainder would form a party to attack tho robbers in their haunt. 



140 APPENElX. 

On reaching the place the courageous voyageurs found that their enemies had 
disappeared, but four boats were discovered in a bend of the creek, laden with 
a miscellaneous assortment of valuable plunder, and in a low hut, situated 
among the trees at a little distance from the bank, a large quantity of provi- 
sions and ammunition was found, with cases of guns and various other weapons, 
indicating the numerous captures which had been made by these outlaws. All 
of this property was removed, together with the boats and contents, and carried 
to St. Louis, whero a large number of the articles were identified by^the 
owners. 

The arrival of the fleet of barges created quite a commotion in the settle- 
ment, and was considered so memorable that the year 1788 received the name 
of "l/'annee des Dix Bateaux," or the year of the ten boats. A most fortunate 
result of this descent was that although no blood was shed it practically led to 
the dispersion of the bands, and but few subsequent depredations are reported 
to have occurred. 

Prior to the event just narrated and in the year 1785, the people of St. Louis 
experienced a serious alarm and loss of property, owing to a sudden and extra- 
ordinary rise in the Mississippi river. The American Bottom was covered with 
water, and Cahokia and Kaskaskia were threatened with being swept out of 
existence. Most of the buildings in St. Louis were situatod on Main street, 
and the rise of the waters above the steep banks spread general dismay. The 
flood subsided, however, nearly as rapidly as it had risen, averting tho neces- 
sity of abandoning the houses, which had been commenced. The year received 
the namo of "L'annee des Grandes Eaux," or tho year of the great waters. 
No rise in the river equal to this has occurred since excepting in 1814 and 1851, 
Avhich floods are remembered by most of our citizens. 

CONCLUDING EVENTS UNDER THE SPANISH DOMINATION. 

In the year 1788 the administration of Don Francisco Cruzat terminated, 
and Manual Perez became Commandant-General of the West Illinois country 
at the post of St. Louis. At this time the population of this and the neighbor- 
ing settlements numbered nearly 1200 persons, while that of Ste. Genevieve 
was about 800. The administration of Perez was prosperous, and like his 
predecessor he was generally esteemed by the inhabitants. He brought about 
a settlement of friendly Indians in the vicinity of Cape Girardeau, where ho 
gave them a large grant of land. They consisted of Shawnees and Delaware*, 
two of the most powerful tribes east of the Mississippi river, and the object 
was to oppose through them the Osage Indians, a strong Missouri tribe who 
wero constantly making incursions on tho young settlements. This schemo is 
said to have operated satisfactorily. 

In 1793 Perez was succeeded by Zenon Trudeau, who also became popular, 
and instituted various measures for the encouragement of immigration. In 
tho year 1792 tho honey-bee is chronicled to have first appeared, following as 
it were civilization from the East, and its coming was hailed with delight. 
The grave difficulties which had sprung up between the American Colonies 



APPENDIX. 141 

and Spain, respecting territorial boundaries and the navigation of the Missis- 
sippi, were adjusted by troaty in October, 1795, but more serious trouble 
subsequently arose from the same cause. 

During the administration of Trudeau St. Louis and the other settlements 
in that portion of the country expanded rapidly. Under the influence of the 
exceedingly favorable terms offered to settlers, and tho fact that the fear of 
Indian attacks was greatly diminished, quite a number of citizens of the United 
States loft the country east of the Mississippi, over which English control 
was now practically broken up, and took up their residence in the Spanish 
dominions. St. Louis improved in appearance, and now and neat buildings 
began to supplant, in many places, the rude log huts of earlier years. Trade 
received a now impetus, but the clearing of tho countr}' in its vicinity and the 
development of agriculture still made but slow progress. The dealing in peltries 
was the principal business, and in their effort to expand their exchangos with 
Indian tribes, traders became more energetic and daring in their excursions 
and traveled long distances into the interior westward, and forced their rude 
boats up the swift Missouri to many points never before visited. 

Trudeau closed his official career in 1798 and was succeeded by Charles 
Dchault Delassus de Delusiere, a Frenchman by birth, but who had been many 
years in the service of Spain. The winter of the succeeding year was one of 
extraordinary severity and received the title of " L'annce du Grande-hiver," 
or year of the hard winter. The same year that Delassus commenced his 
administration was signalized by the arrival of some galleys with Spanish 
troops under Don Carlos Howard, and was called " Jj'annee des galeres," or 
year of the galleys. This Governor caused a census to be taken of Upper 
Louisiana settlements, from which wo extract the following, showing tho popu- 
lation of the places named in the year 1799 : St. Louis, 925; Carondelet, 181; 
St. Charles, 875; St. Ferdinand, 276; Marius des Liard, 376; Meramec, 115 ; 
St. Andrew, 393; Ste. Genevieve, 919; New Bourbon, 560; Cape Girardeau, 
521; New Madrid, 782; Little Meadows, 72. Total, 6,028. Total number of 
whites, 4,918; free colored, 197; slaves, 883. 

It will bo seen from these figures that St. Charles then nearly equaled St. 
Louis in population, while Ste. Genevieve exceeded it; and if any then living 
ever dreamed of one of these settlements becoming the center and seat of 
Western empire, the prophecy would probably have been in favor of the brisk 
town at the mouth of tho Missouri. 

On the 15th of May, 1801, the small pox broke out in St. Louis and vicinity 
with fearful severity. It was a new malad} T among tho healthy settlers, and, 
as was usual when particularly impressed by an event, they commemorated 
tho year by a peculiar title, calling it (i L'annee de la Picotte," the year of 
the small-pox. About this time the increase in immigration created a furore 
for speculation in land, and some immense grants were obtained. 



142 APPENDIX. 



THE RETROCESSION OF LOUISIANA TO FRANCE AND ITS PURCHASE BY THE UNITED 

STATES. 

On the 1st of October, 1800, the treaty of Ildefonso was consummated, by 
which Spain, under certain conditions, retroceded to Franco the territory of 
Louisiana; and in July, 1802, the Spanish authorities were directed to doliver 
possession to the French commissioners. This event, however, did not take 
place until the month of December, 1803, when M. Laussat on behalf of France 
was placed in control. The supremacy of England on the high seas at this 
period practically prevented France from instituting any possessory acts by 
transferring troops to the newly-acquired territory, and she wisely resolved to 
accept, the offer of the United States and sell the vast territory to that govern- 
ment. This famous purchase, accomplished during the administration of 
President Jefferson, was formally concluded on the 30th of April, 1803; and 
in December following, M. Laussat, who had just received control of the 
Province from the Spanish authorities, transferred it to the United States, 
represented at New Orleans for that purpose by Governor Claiborne and 
General Wilkinson, the commissioners appointed. The sum of money paid 
by the United States for the territory acquired was about 815,000,000. The 
agent of France for receiving possession of Upper Louisiana from the Spanish 
authorities was Amos' Stoddard, a captain of artiller}- in the service of the 
United States. He arrived in St. Louis in March, 180L, and on the 9th of 
that month Charles Debault Delassus, the Spanish Commandant, placed him in 
possession of the territory, and on the following day he transferred it to the 
United States. This memorable event created a wide-spread sensation in St. 
Louis and the other young towns in the vicinity. Most of the people were 
deeply attached to the old government, and although they were in sympathy 
with the vigorous Eepublic which had sprung into existence in the East, and 
dimly appreciated the promise of its future, yet it was with feelings of regret 
and apprehension that they saw the banner of the new government unfurled in 
place of the well-known flag of Spain. There were, however, many among 
St. Louis citizens who rejoiced at the transfer, and their anticipations of its 
prosperous influence on their town wero spoedily realized, for business gen- 
erally became more animated, while the population rapidly increased by an 
energetic and ingenious class of settlers from the East and other points, mostly' 
representatives of the Anglo Saxon race, always the most successful in urging 
forward the prosperity and development of a country. 

The date of this transfer marks an interesting epoch in the growth of St. 
Louis and the Western country. If, as we believe, before the year 1900 St. 
Louis will be the leading city of the North American Continent, her history 
will form a marvelous chapter in the chronicles of the life and development of 
modern nations. Nearly within the bounds of a century a rude settlement in 
a far inland wildornoss will have expanded into a mighty metropolis, the rich 
capital and throbbing heart of the greatest nation in the world, the center of 
modern civilization, knowledge and arts; a city of vast manufacturing and 



APPENDIX. 143 

commercial interests, in which every branch of human industry is represented j 
a second Babylon, on the banks of a river beside which the Euphrates was a 
streamlet; Avith iron roadways for the cars of steam branching out in all direc- 
tions, and whose empire extends from the wild billows of the Atlantic to the 
calmer waters of the Pacific, from the cold lakes of the North to the warm 
waters of the Mexican Gulf. Hero indeed is a historical picturo which words 
can scarcely depict, which illustrates the power of human activities far more 
wondrously than the colossal but isolated structures of the people of the olden 
time. 

ST. LOUIS UNDER THE RULE OP THE UNITED STATES. 

A temporary government for St. Louis and Upper Louisiana was promptly 
provided for by Congress, Captain Stoddard being appointed to exerciso the 
functions and prerogatives formerly vested in the Spanish Lieutenant-Governor. 
In the excellent historical sketch of Louisiana written by that officer, some 
interesting particulars are given of St. Louis at the time of the transfer to the 
United States. The town consisted of about 180 houses, and the population in 
the district numbered about 2,280 whites and about 500 blacks. The total 
population of Upper Louisiana is stated at 9,020 whites and 1,320 blacks. 
Three-fifths of the population of Upper Louisiana were Anglo-Americans. 
According to the same authority, St. Louis then consisted of two long streets 
running parallel to the river, with a number of others intersecting them at 
right angles. There wore some houses, however, on the line of the present 
Third street, which was known as "La rue des Granges," or the street of barns, 
as before mentioned. The church building, from which Second street then 
derived its name, was a structure of hewn logs somewhat rude and primitive 
in appearance. West of Fourth street thero was little else but woods and 
commons, and the Planters' House now stands upon a portion of the space then 
used i'or pasturage purposes. There was no post-office, nor indeed any need 
for one, as there were no official mails. Government boats ran occasionally 
between Now Orleans and St. Louis, but there was no regular communication. 
Tho principal buildings wore the Government house on Main street near Walnut 
street, tho Chouteau mansion on tho block between Main and Second and Market 
and Walnut streets, the residonco of Madame Chouteau on the next block north, 
and tho fort, St. Charles, near the prosent intersection of Fifth and Walnut 
streets. The means of education were of course limitod in character, and as 
peltries and lead continued to be the chief articles of export, the cultivation of 
the land in the vicinity of tho town progressed but slowly. There is a tradi- 
tion that St. Louis received tho sobriquet of Pain Court (short bread), owing to 
the scarcity of tho staff of lifo in the town. Indeed there appears reason to 
believe that, in a commercial point of view, Ste. Genevievo at this time was a 
much more important place than St. Louis. 

Captain Stoddard, on assuming control, published a circular address to tho 
inhabitants, in which ho formally announced that Louisiana had been trans- 
ferred to the possession of the United States, and that the plan of a permanent 



144 APPENDIX. 






territorial government was under the consideration of Congress. He briefly 
alluded to preceding events as follows: "It will not be necessary to advert to 
the various preliminary arrangements which have conspired to place you in 
3"our present political situation. With these it is presumed you are already 
acquainted. Suffice it to observe that Spain, in 1800 and 1801, retroceded the 
colony and province of Louisiana to France, and that France, in 1803, con- 
veyed the same territory to the United States, who aro now in the legal and 
peaceful possession of it. These transfers were made with honorablo views 
and under such forms and sanctions as are usually practiced among civilized 
nations." The remainder of the address is devoted to an eloquent exposition 
of the new political condition of the people and of the privileges and benefits 
of a liberal republican government. 

The fur trade, which had led to the founding of St. Louis, continued for 
many yoars to be the principal business of tho people. Hero, as elsewhere, 
the Indian tribes foi-ged the weapons for their own destruction. They eagerly 
sought tho opportunity to exchange with the white men the fruits of the chase 
for tho articles and commodities of a higher civilization. They were the prin- 
cipal agents in developing the fur trade of the North and West, and by so 
doing hastened the incoming of that indomitable race destined to build, over 
their slaughter and decay, the glorious structure of American liberty. These 
primitive races wasted and faded with the birth of a nation, whose evangel 
was to bless and metamorphose tho New World ; and even had there been no 
Eevolutionary war to usher in the American Union, there is enough in the 
fate of the aborigines of tho country to authenticate the remark of Theodore 
Parker that "all the great chartors of humanity have been written in blood." 

During the fifteen years ending in 1804 the average annual value of the furs 
collected at St. Louis is stated to have been $203,750. The number of buffalo 
skins was only 850; deer, 158,000; beaver, 36,900 pounds; otter, 8,000; bear, 
5,100. A very different state of things existed twenty or thirty years later, 
when beaver were nearly exhausted and buffalo skins formed the most import- 
ant article of trade. The commerce consisted principally of that portion of 
furs that did not find its way directly to Montreal and Quebec through the 
lakes. 

Tho supplies of the town, especially of groceries, were brought from New 
Orleans, and the time necessary. for a trip was from four to six months. Tho 
departure of a boat was an important event, and generally many of the 
inhabitants collected together on tho shore to see it' off and bid good-by to 
the friends who might bo among the passengers. Wm. C. Carr, who arrived 
about the 1st of April, 1804, states that it took him twenty-five days to make 
the trip from Louisville, Ky., by river. On tho same authority it is stated 
that there were then only two American families in the place— those of Calvin 
Adams and William Sullivan. Mr. Carr remained in St. Louis about a month, 
and then, attracted by the greater lead trade of Ste. Genevieve, went to that 
place to reside, but returned in about a year, convinced that St. Louis was a 
better location. In the same year Col. Eufus Easton, John Scott, and Edward 



APPENDIX. . 145 

Hempstead came to reside in the country. Mr. Scott settled at Stc. Gene- 
vieve; Mr. Hempstead went to St. Charles, then called Petite Cote, where he 
remained for several years, and then came to St. Louis ; Mr. Easton remained 
in St. Louis. 

In 1802 James Purslc}*, an American, with two companions, started on a 
hunting expedition from St. Louis to the source of the Osage, hut extended 
his course westward. After various dangers and adventures ho reached the 
vicinity of Santa Fe, and is said to have been the first American who traversed 
the great plains between the United States and New Mexico. 

In 1804 the United States dispatched Lewis and Clark and Major Pike to 
explore the sources of the Mississippi, the Arkansas, the Kansas, and the Platte 
rivers. Hunters from St. Louis and vicinity formed their companions, or 
preceded them, and were to be found on nearly all the rivers east of the Rock}* 
Mountains. Mr. Auguste Chouteau, about the same time, had outfitted Loisel, 
who established a considerable fort and trading post on Cedar Island, a little 
above the Big Bend of the Missouri; so that about the time that St. Louis 
hocame a town of the United States, the great regions west and north of her 
were being gradually opened to settlement. Forty years had elapsed since 
Laclede had founded the settlement, and yet, compared with the development 
of subsequent times, its growth had not been very rapid. It was but a strag- 
gling river village with few buildings of any consequonce, and was cut off 
from the world of trade and civilization by its great distance from the seaboard 
and the vast unpeopled country surrounding it. The inhabitants were mostly 
French, and the social intercourse was simple and friendly, with but faint 
traces of class distinctions. There was only one resident physician, Dr. Sau- 
grain, who lived on Second street, and one baker, Lo Clerc, who baked for the 
garrison and lived on Main street near Elm. The only American tavern was 
kept by a man named Adams, and this, with two others kept by Frenchmen 
named Tostic and Laudreville, both on Main street near Locust, were, we 
believe, the only establishments of the kind in the town. The names of the. 
more prominent merchants and citizens at this time are familiar at present to 
nearly all of our citizens, owing to"many of the families still being represented, 
and the fact that their names, most appropriately, have been wrought in with 
the nomenclatui'e of our streets. Among them we ma}* mention Auguste and 
Pierre Chouteau, Labadie, Sarpy, Gratiot, Pratte, Tayon, Lecompt, Papin, 
Cabanne, Lebaume, Soulard, Hortez, Alvarez, Clamorgan, Debreuil and Manuel 
Lisa. The Chouteaus lived on Main street, and Pierre, whose place was near 
the present intersection of that street with Washington avenue, had nearly a 
whole square encircled by a stone wall, and in which ho had a fine orchard. 
Manuel Lisa lived on Second street ; the establishment of Labadie & Sarpy 
was on Main near Chesnut, and the Debreuils had a fine place on Second 
between Pine and Chesnut streets. 

On the 26th of March, 1804, by an act of Congress the Province of Louisiana 
was divided into two parts, the Territory of Orleans and the District of 
Louisiana, the latter including all north of the 33d parallel of latitude. The 



146 APPENDIX. 



executive power of the Government in the Territory of Indiana was extended 
over that of Louisiana, the Governors and Judges of the former being authoi'- 
ized to enact laws for the new District. Gen. William Henry Harrison, then 
Governor of Indiana, instituted the American authorities here under the 
provisions of this act, his associates being, we believe, Judges Griffin, Yander- 
berg, and Davis. The first courts of justice were held during the ensuing 
winter in the old fort near Fifth and Walnut streets, and were called Courts 
of Common Pleas. On the 3d of March, 1805, by another act of Congress the 
District was changed to the Territory of Louisiana, and James Wilkinson 
was appointed Governor, and with Judges E. J. Meigs and John B. C. Lucas, 
of the Superior Court, formed the Legislature of the Territory. The executive 
offices were in the old Government building on Main street, near Walnut, just 
south of tho Public Square, called La Place d'Armes. Here Gen. Wilkinson 
was visited b}* Aaron Burr when the latter was planning his daring and ambi- 
tious conspirac}*. When Wilkinson was appointed there were in each of the 
Districts of St. Charles, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, and Capo Girardeau a civil 
and military Commandant, as follows: Col Meigs for the first, Col. Hammond 
for St. Louis, Maj. Seth Hunt for Ste. Genevieve, and Col. T. B.. Scott for the 
last-named place. These officers were superseded by the organization of 
courts, and the names of the districts subsequently became those of counties. 
This system of legislation was maintained for several years, with occasional 
changes in officers. 

In 1806 Gen. Wilkinson established the fort of Belle Fontaine, on the south 
side of the Missouri, a few miles above its mouth; but it was practically 
abandoned early the following year, when he was ordered South to assist in 
arresting the Burr conspiracy. During part of 1806 Joseph Browne was 
Secretary of the Territory and Acting Governor, and J. B. C. Lucas and Otho 
Shrador were Judges. Tho following year Frederic Bates was Governor, with 
the same Judges in office. Next year Merriweather Lewis, Avith the same 
Judges, formed tho Legislature, and continued to do so until 1811. 

On the 9th of November, 1809, the town of St. Louis was first incorporated, 
upon the petition of two-thirds of the taxable inhabitants and under the 
authority of an act of the Territory of Louisiana, passed tho previous year. 

On the 4th of June, 1812, the country received the name of tho Territory of 
Missouri, and the government was modified and made to consist of a Governor 
and Legislative Assembl}', the uppor branch of ^hich, numbering nine coun- 
cilors, were selected out of twice that number, nominated to tho Governor by 
tho lower branch. At this time the Territory had first conceded to it the right 
of representation in Congress by one delegate. Anterior to this change in the 
government there are some events which deserve particular notice. Shortly 
after tho country became part of tho United States a post-office was perma- 
nently created in the town, tho first postmaster being Bufus Easton. The first 
newspaper was established Jul}', 1808, by Joseph Charless, and received tho 
name of the Missouri Gazette. It was first printed on a sheet of writing-paper 
not much larger than a royal-octavo page. This journal was the germ of the 



. 



APPENDIX. 147 

present Missouri Republican, one of the largest in circulation and most influ- 
ential journals of the country. The necessity of some means of transportation 
to and fro across the river had led to the establishment of a small ferry, which 
was first kept by Calvin Adams and proved a paying enterprise His ferry 
consisted of two pirogues tied together with planks laid across the top, and 
his charge for bringing over man and horse was $2. In the August of this 
year two Iowa Indians were tried for murder before the Court of Oyer and 
Terminer, Judges Lucas and Shrader presiding. It created a good deal of 
excitement, but owing to some want of jurisdiction in the case the prisoners 
escaped the sontence of death which was passed upon them. On the 16th of 
September the first execution for murder in the Territory took place, the 
criminal being a young man who had shot his step-fathei\ In the autumn of 
the next year Governor Lewis, while on a journey to Louisville, committed 
suicide by shooting himself while under the influence of aberration of mind. 

The Municipal Government, at this time, consisted of a Board of Trustees, 
elected under the provisions of the charter mentioned above. The Missouri 
Fur Company was formed in St. Louis in 1808, consisting principally of Pierre 
Chouteau, Manuel Lisa, William Clark, Sylvester Labadie, Pierre Menard, and 
Auguste Pierre Chouteau, the capital being §40,000. An expedition was 
dispatched under the auspices of this company, in charge of Major A. Heniw, 
and succeeded in establishing trading posts upon the Upper Missouri — one on 
Lewis river, beyond the Eocky Mountains, and one on the southern branch of 
the Columbia, the latter being the first post established on the great river of 
the Oregon Territory. In 1812 this company was dissolved, most of the 
members establishing independent houses in the trade and for furnishing 
outfits to private adventurers. Among these may be mentioned the houses of 
Berthold & Chouteau, B. Pratte, J. P. Cabanne, and M. Lisa. The hunters 
and trappers at this time formed a considerable part of tho population of St. 
Louis, and were principally half-breed Indians and white men so long accus- 
tomed to such pursuits that they were nearly similar in habits to the natives. 
Notwithstanding the preponderance of this reckless element, it does not 
appear that the town was disorderly, and crime and scenes of violence were of 
rare occurrence. 

The first members of the Territorial Legislature, elected in 1812, sat during the 
ensuing winter in the old house of Joseph Eobidoux, on Main, between Walnut 
and Elm streets. It was in this year that the terrible earthquake occurred at 
New Madrid and vicinity, and created wide-spread dismay. The waters of the 
Mississippi were greatly agitated by the subterranean convulsion, and several 
boats with their crews were engulfed. New Madrid, which stood upon a bluff 
fifteen or twent}- feet above tho summer floods, sank so low that the next rise 
covered the ground to the depth of four or fivo feet. The channel of the river 
was affected materialbr, and the bottoms of some small lakes in the vicinity 
were so elevated that the}' bocame dry land. 

The first English school was opened in St. Louis in 1S08, by Geo. Tompkins, 
a young Virginian, who, when he started in the enterprise, was nearly without 
funds and with but few acquaintances. He rentod a room on the north side of 



148 APPENDIX. 

Market street, between Second and Third, for bis school, and during his leisure 
hours pursued the study of law. The first debating society known w T cst of 
the Mississippi was connected with this school, and the debates were generally 
open to the public and afforded interesting and instructive entertainment. 
This energetic young school-teacher studied law to some purpose, for ho 
ultimately became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Among 
the members of the society he organized were Dr. Farrar, Dr. Lowry, Major 
O'Fallon, Edward Bates, and Joshua Barton — names afterward rendered 
eminent by ability and public service. The population of tbo town in 1810 
was about 1400. In May, 1812, the chiefs of the Osage, the Sbawnees, Dcla- 
wares, and other tribes, came here to accompany Gen. Wra, Clark to Wash- 
ington, the purpose being to consummate some negotiations then pending and 
to impress the savages with some true idea of the greatness and power of the 
Government. This Gen. Clark was the brother of Gen. George Rogers Clark, 
so distinguished in the West during the Revolutionary war, and was the com- 
panion of Lewis in the famous expedition to the Upper Missouri, and had 
remarkable experience and judgment in dealing with the Indians. The war of 
1812 between the United States and England produced but little effect upon 
our city, so far removed inland, but the people took a lively interest in the 
progress of the conflict, and participated in the general rejoicing over its 
honorable close. 

In August, 1816, the Bank of St. Louis was incorporated, being the first 
institution of the kind in the town. The following gentlemen composed tho 
commissioners : Auguste Chouteau, J. B. C. Lucas, Clement B. Penrose, Moses 
Austin, Bernard Pratte, Manuel Lisa, Thos. Brady, Bartholomew Berthold, 
Samuol Hammond, Rufus Easton, Robert Simpson, Christian Wilt, and Risdon 
H. Price. At an election, held on the 20th of the following month, Samuel 
Hammond was elected President, and John B. N. Smith Cashier. The career 
of this bank was not successful, and continued for something over two years, 
when it came to a disastrous close. On the 1st of February, 1817, the Missouri 
Bank was incorporated, the commissioners appointed b}- tho stockholders to 
receive subscriptions being Charles Gratiot, Wm. Smith, John McKnight, J. B. 
Cabanno, and Mathew T Kerr. The first President was Auguste Chouteau, and 
tho Cashier Lilburn W. Boggs. 

A census published in tho Missouri Gazette, Decomber 9, 1815, and taken by 
John W. Thompson, states that the number of souls in the town was 2,000, 
and tho total population of county and town 7,395. 

On the 2d of August an event occurred which marked the commencement 
of a new epoch in the history of St. Louis. Iloretoforo its growth had been 
depondent upon human energies alone, but now a new agency was to enter 
into its commercial life, and which was to enable her to reap the full benefit 
accruing from the noblo river that rolled past her to tho sea. The first steam- 
boat arrived on the day named. It was called the " Piko," and was commanded 
by Capt. Jacob Reed. The inhabitants were, as might be expected, greatl} 1- 
interested and delighted as tho novel craft touched the foot of Market street, 



APPENDIX. 149 

many of them having nover seen a vessel of the kind before. Some Indians 
who were in town were so alarmed at the unusual spectacle that they receded 
from the shore as the boat ncared, and could not be persuaded to come in the 
vicinity of the monster, for such it seemed to them, although in reality but a 
tiny little vessel. She was propelled by a low-pressure engine, and had been 
built at Louisville. The second boat which arrived here was the " Constitution," 
commanded by Capt. E. P. Guyard, and the 2d of October, 1817, was the date 
of her arrival. In May, 1819, the first steamboat stemmed the tide of the 
Missouri; it was the "Independence," Capt. Nelson commanding, and wont up 
as far as "Old Franklin," after a passage of seven running da}*s. The first 
steamboat from New Orleans, the " Harriet," commanded by Capt. Armitage, 
reached here on the 2d of June, 1819, making the voyago in twenty-seven 
days." 

In 1817 the first board of school trustees was formed, which may be regarded 
as the commencement of the present unsurpassed school system. They were : 
Wm. Clark, Wm. C. Carr, Thos. II. Benton, Bernard Pratte, Auguste Chouteau, 
Alexander McNair, and John P. Cabanne. During the following year the 
application of Missouri for admission into the Union gave rise to a most excis- 
ing political agitation, in which the whole nation participated. The Southern 
members of Congress insisted that the new State should be admitted without 
restriction as to slavery, while the members from the North as bitterly opposed 
any oxtension of tho slave system. It is not our province to more than men- 
tion the interesting and important aspect of the discussion that ensued, as it is 
a subject fully treated in the political history of tho country. The result was 
tho celebrated "Missouri Compromise," which in effect allowed the formation 
of the Missouri constitution without restriction, but declared that slavery 
should not extend in any new-formed State north of 86 degrees 40 minutes 
north latitude. The convention which framed the first Constitution of the 
State of Missouri assembled in 1820 in this city. The place of meeting was 
the Mansion House, thon a building of considerable importance on the corner 
of Third and Yino stroets, now known as the City Hotel. 

Mr. John Jacob Astor established a branch of his house in this city in 1819, 
under the charge of Mr. Samuel Abbott, and it was called the Western Depart- 
ment of the American Fur Company. This company entered upon a most 
successful career, embracing in its trade the northern and western parts of the 
United States, east of the Eocky Mountains. About this time the old Missouri 
Fur Company was revived, with new partners, among whom were Maj. John 
Pilcher, M. Lisa, Thomas Hempstead, and Capt. Perkins. We may incidentally 
mention that in 1823 a hunting and trapping party of this company, under 
Messrs. Jones and Immcl, while on tho Yellow Stone, were attacked by Black 
Feet Indians. The leaders and several of the party were killed, and those 
who escaped wore robbed of whatever property they had with them. This 
compan}- only continued a few years, and was not successful. The important 
expedition of Gen. Wm. H. Ashley took place also in this year, and resulted 
in the discovery of the Southern pass of the Eocky Mountains, and the open- 
ing of commercial intercourse with the countries west of the same. The 



150 APPENDIX. 

General encountered fierce opposition from the Indians, and lost fourteen men, 
and had ten wounded in a fight at the outset of the expedition. 

A city directory was published in 1821, which furnishes some interesting 
information respecting the condition oT the town at the time, and from which 
we make the following extracts : 

"It is but about forty years since the now flourishing but yet more promising 
State of Missouri was but a vast wilderness, many of tho inhabitants of this 
country yet remembering the time when they met together to kill the buffalo 
at the same place where Mr. Philipson's ox saw and flour mill is now erected, 
and on Mill creek, near to whore Mr. Chouteau's mill now stands. What a pro- 
digious change has been operated! St. Louis is now ornamented with a great 
number of brick buildings, and both the scholar and the courtier could move in 
a circle suiting their choice and taste. 

"By the exertions of the Bight Bev. Bishop Louis Wm. Du Bourg, tho 
inhabitants have seen a fine cathedral riso at the same spot where stood an old 
log church. * * * This elegant building was commenced in 1818, under 
the superintendence of Mr. Gabriel Paul, the architect, and is only in part 
completed. As it now stands it is 40 feet by 135 in depth and 40 feet in height. 
When completed it will have a wing on each side running its whole length 
221 feet wide and -25 in height, giving it a front of 85 feet. It will have a 
steeple tho same height as the depth of tho building, which will be provided 
with several largo bells oxpected from France. The lot on which the church 
college and other buildings are erected embraces a completo square, a part of 
which is used as a burial ground. 

SfC <fC 3|C 3|C 3fC «fC »|S ^ 

" It is a truly delightful sight, to an American of taste, to find in one of the 
remotest towns in the Union, a church decorated with original paintings of 
Bubens, Baphael, Guido, Paul Verouese, and a number of others by tho first 
modern masters of the Italian, French and Flemish schools. The ancient and 
precious gold embroideries which the St. Louis Cathedral possesses would 
certainly decorate an}- museum in the world. All this is due to the liberality 
of tho Catholics of Europe, who presented these rich articles to Bishop Du 
Bourg, on his last tour through France, Italy, Sicily, and the Netherlands. 
Among the liberal benefactors could bo named many princes and princesses, 
but we will only insert the names of Louis XYIIL, the present King of 
France, and that of the Baroness Le Candele de Ghj-seghern, a Flemish lady, 
to whose munificence the Cathedral is particular!}' indebted, and who, even 
lately, has sent a fine, large and olegant organ, fit to correspond with the rest 
of tho decorations. The Bishop possesses beside, a very elegant and valuable 
library containing about 8,000 volumes, and which is without doubt, the most 
complete scientific and literary repertory of the Western country, if not of the 
Western world. Though it is not public, there is no doubt but the man of sci- 
enco, the antiquary and the linguist, will obtain a ready access to it, and find 
the Bishop a man at onco endowed with the elegance and politeness of the 
courtier, the piety and zeal of the apostle, and tho learning of a father of the 
church. Connected with this establishment is the St. Louis College, under tho 



APPENDIX. - 151 

direction of Bishop Du Bourg. It is a two-story brick building and has about 
sixt)-five students, who are taught the Greek, Latin, French, English, Spanish, 
and Italian languages, mathematics, elementary and transcendent, drawing, &c. 
There are several teachers. Connected with the college is an ecclosiastical 
seminary, at the Barrens, in StOv Genevieve county, where divinity, the oriental 
languages and philosophy are taught. 

"St. Louis likewise contains ten common schools; a brick Baptist church, 
40 t'eot by 60, built in 1819, and an Episcopal church of wood. Tho Methodist 
congregation hold their meetings in the old Court Ilouse, and the Presbyterians 
in tho Circuit Court room." We gather the following additional facts from the 
same work : There were three newspapers then in the city, tho St. Louis 
Enquirer, Missouri Gazette, and St. Louis Register. 

" Eight streets run parallel with tho river, and are intorsected by twenty-three 
others at right angles; three of the preceding are in the lower part of the 
town, and the five others in the upper part. The streets in the lower part of 
the town are narrow, being from thirty-two to thirty-eight and a half feet in 
width; those on 'the Hill' or upper part are much wider. 'The Hill' is 
much the most pleasant and salubrious, and will no doubt become the most 
improved. The lowor end of Market street is well paved, and the trustees of 
the town have passed an ordinance for paving the sidewalks of Main street, 
being the second from and parallel to the river, and principal one for business. 
This is a very wholesome regulation of the trustees, and is the more necessary, 
as this and many other streets are sometimes so extremely muddy as to be 
rendered almost impassable. It is hoped that the trustees will next pave the 
middle of Main street, and that they will proceed gradually to improve the 
other streets, which will contribute to make the town more healthy, add to the 
value of property, and make it a desirable place of residence. On the Hill, in 
the center of the town, is a public square, two hundred and forty by three 
hundred feet, on which it is intended to build an elegant court-house. The 
various courts are held at present in buildings adjacent to the public square. 
A new stone jail of two stories, seventy feet front by thirty deep, stands west 
of the site of tho court-house. Market street is in tho middle of the town, ajid 
is the line dividing the north part from tho south. Those streets running north 
from Market street have the addition of North to their names, and those run- 
ning in tho opposite direction, South. For example : North Main street, 
South Main street, North A, &c. street, South A street. The houses were first 
numbered by the publisher of this Directory, in May, 1821. The fortifications 
erected in earl}* times for tho defense of tho place stand principally on the 
IIill. They consist of several circular stone towers, about fiftoen feet in height 
and twenty in diameter, a wooden block-house and a large stone bastion, the 
interior of which is used as a garden by Captain A. Wetmore of tho United 
States army. 

"Just above the town are several Indian mounds and remains of antiquity, 
which afford an extensive and most charming view of the town and beautiful 
surrounding country, situated in the two States of Missouri and Illinois, which 



152 APPENDIX. 

are separated by the majestic Mississippi, and which is likewise observed in the 
scene, as he glides along in all his greatness. Adjacent to the large mound, 
nearest the town, is the Mound Garden, belonging to Colonel Elias Hector, and 
kept by Mr. James Gray as a place of entertainment and recreation. The pro- 
prietor has displayed considerable taste in laying it out in beds and walks, and 
in ornamenting it with flowers and shrubbery. In short, it affords a delightful 
and pleasant retreat from the noise, heat and dust of a busy town. 

"There is a Masonic hall in which the Grand Lodge of the State of Missouri, 
the Royal Arch, and the Master Masons' Lodges arc held. Connected with this 
excellent institution is a burying-ground, where poor Masons are interred at the 
expense of the fraternity. The council chamber of Governor Wm. Clark, 
whore he gives audience to the chiefs of the various tribes of Indians who visit 
St. Louis, contains probably the most complete museum of Indian curiosities 
to be met with anywhere in the United States, and the Governor is so polite as 
to permit its being visited by any person of respectability at any time. 

# % * * * * %. %Z 

"Population in 1810, 1,000; in 1818, 3,500, and at this timo (1821), about 
5,500. The town and county contain 9,732. The population is much mixed, 
consisting principally of Americans from every part of the Union, the original 
and other French, of whom there are one hundred and fifty-five families, and 
foreigners of various nations; consequently the society is much diversified and 
has no fixed character. This, the reader will perceive, arises from the situation 
of the country, in itself new, flourishing aud changing; still, that class who 
compose the respectable part of the community are hospitable, polite and well 
informed. And hero I must take occasion, in justice to the town and countiy, 
to protest against the many calumnies circulated abroad, to tbe prejudice of St. 
Louis, respecting the manners and dispositions of the inhabitants. Persons 
meet here with dissimilar habits produced by a different education, and possess- 
ing various peculiarities. It is not therefore surprising that, in a place com- 
posed of such discordant materials, there should be occasional differences and 
difficulties. But tho reader may be assured that old-established inhabitants 
have little participation in transactions which have, so far, so much injured the 
town. 

" St. Louis has grown very rapidly. There is not, however, so much 
improvement going on at this time, owing to the check caused by general and 
universal pressure that pervades the country. This state of things can onlj- 
be temporary hero, for it possesses such permanent advantages from its local 
and geographical situation that it must, ere some distant day, become a place 
of great importance, being more central with regard to the whole territory 
belonging to the United States than any other considerable town, and uniting 
the advantages of the three great rivors, Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois, of 
tho trade of which it is the emporium. 

"The Missouri Fur Company was formed by several gentlemen of St. Louis 
in 1819, for tho purpose of trading on the Missouri river and its waters. The 
principal establishment of the company is at Council Bluffs, yet they have 
several others of minor consequence several hundred miles above, and it is 



APPENDIX. 153 

expected that the establishment will be extended shortly up as high as the 
Mandan villages. The actual capital invested in the trade is supposed to 
amount at this time to about §70,000. They have in their employ, exclusive of 
their partners on the river, twenty-fivo clerks and interpreters and seventy 
laboring men. 

" It is estimated that the annual value of tho Indian trade of the Mississippi 
and Missouri rivers is $600,000. Tho annual amount of imports to this town is 
stated at upwards of $2,000,000. The commerce by water is carried on by a 
great number of steamboats, barges and keel-boats. These center hero, aftor 
performing the greatest inland voyages known in tho world. Tho principal 
articles of trade are fur, peltry and lead. The agricultural productions are 
Indian corn, wheat, rye, barle} T , oats, buckwheat, tobacco and other articles 
common to the "Western country. Excellent mill-stones are found and made in 
this county. Stone coal is abundant, and saltpeti'e and common salt have been 
made within a few miles. Within three or four miles are several springs of 
good water, and seven miles southwest is a sulphur spring. In tho vicinity 
are two natural caverns in limestone rocks. Two miles above town, at North 
St. Louis, is a steam saw-mill, and several common mills are on the neighboring 
streams. The roads leading from St. Louis are very good, and it is expected 
that the groat national turnpike from "Washington will strike this place, as the 
commissioners for the United States have reported in favor of it. 

" There were two fire engines with organized companies, one of which was 
stationed in the northern, the other in the southern part of tho town. Two 
steam ferry-boats, the property of Mr. Samuel Wiggins, were in regular 
operation between the city and the opposite shore, and the river at the 
forry was one milo and one-eighth in width. "Opposite the upper part of the 
town and above the ferry is an island about one mile and one-half in length 
and containing upwards of 1,000 acres, the property also of Mr. Wiggins. A 
considerable sand-bar has been formed in tho river adjoining tho lower part of 
the town, which extends far out and has thrown the main channel over on the 
Illinois side; when the wator is low it is entirely dry and coverod with an 
immense quantity of drift-wood nearly sufficient to supply tho town with fuel, 
costing only tho trouble of cutting and hauling. This is of great consequence 
to the inhabitants, particularly as the growth of wood is small in the imme- 
diate neighborhood on this side of the river. Wood is likewise brought down 
the river in large quantities for disposal." 

Only about four years had elapsed from tho arrival of the first steamboat 
at St. Louis to the time this directory was published, yet it is evident that 
municipal growth had boon exceedingly rapid ; business of all kinds, par- 
ticularly in furs, peltries, lead, and agricultural productions, had expanded 
greatly, while numbers of steamboats, barges, and other craft were con- 
stantly engaged in tho river commorco. In fact, oven at this early period 
tho inhabitants appoar to havo had some idea of tho great future boforo their 
city. The career of St. Louis as an incorporated city may bo dated from 
December 9, 1822, when an act was passed by tho State Legislature entitled 
"An act to incorporate the inhabitants of the town of St. Louis j" and in 



154 APPENDIX. 

April following, an election took place for Mayor and nine Aldermen, in 
accordance with the provisions of the act. William Carr Lane was elected 
Mayor, with the following Aldermen : Thomas McKnight, James Kennerley, 
Philip Bocheblane, Archibald Gamblo, Wm. H. Savage, Bobert Nash, James 
Loper, Henry Yon Phul, and James Lackman. The now city government 
proved a most effective one, and immediately set about the improvement of 
the city. An ordinance was passed for the grading of Main street and com- 
pelling citizens to improve streets in front of their lots. The salary of the 
Mayor was only $300 i er annum, but he applied himself with as much earnest- 
ness and assiduity to the public service as if he were receiving the present 
salary of 84,000. Before proceeding to sketch the progress of St. Louis as an 
incorporated city, the following items may be mentioned as illustrating the 
progress of building up to that time : Chouteau's row in block No. 7 "was begun 
in 1818 and finished in 1819. During the same years three other buildings of 
an important character were erected; the first by Gen. Clark, the second by 
Bernard Pratte, at the corner of Market and Water streets, and the third, a 
large warehouse, by A. Chouteau, in block No. 6. The Catholic Church, a 
largo brick building on Second street, long since demolished, was constructed 
in 1818, and on Christmas day, 1819, divine service was performed there for 
the first time. The first paving which was laid in St. Louis was executed by 
Wm. Deckers, with stone on edge, on Market street, between Main and Water. 
In 1821 the first brick pavement was laid on Second street, and finally it may 
be mentioned that the first brick dwelling was built in 1813 by William C. Carr. 
There was, at the time we now speak of, but little indications of settlement on 
the eastern bank of tho river opposite St. Louis, but the long strip of land 
near tho Illinois shore had already earned the right to the title of Bloody 
Island, as more than ono fatal duel had taken place there. The first was that 
between Thos. H. Benton, subsequently so distinguished a citizen, and Charles 
Lucas. The difficulty between the parties originated during a trial in which 
both wero engaged as counsel. Col. Benton, believing himsolf insulted, chal- 
lenged Mr. Lucas, who declined on the ground that statements made to a jury 
could not properly bo considered a cause for such a meotihg. The ill feeling 
thus created was aggravated by a subsequent political controversy, and Mr. 
Lucas challenged Mr. Benton, w T ho accepted. Tho meeting took place on 
Bloody Island on the morning of August 12, 1817, pistols being the weapons 
used. Mr. Lucas was severely wounded in the neck, and owing to the effusion 
of blood, was withdrawn from the field. A temporary reconciliation followed 
this duel, but the feud between tho partios broke out afresh shortly afterwards, 
and another duel took place on Bloody Island, resulting in tho killing of }"Oung 
Lucas at the age of twonty-five. This deplorable rencounter occurred on the 
27th of September, 1817. During the following year another duel occurred on 
Bloody Island, which also resulted fatally, tho combatants being Captains 
Martin and Eamsey, of the U. S. army, who were stationed at tho Fort Belle 
Fountaine, on the Missouri rivor. Eamsey was wounded and died a few T day:- 
afterwards, and was buried with Masonic and military honors. On the 30th 
of June, 1823, a hostile meeting took place at the same locality between 



APPENDIX. 155 

Joshua Barton, District Attorney of the United States, resident at St. Louis, 
and Thos. C. Rector. Tho parties met in tho evening, and Mr. Barton fell 
mortally wounded. An article which appeared in the Missouri Republican, 
charging Gen. Wm. Rector, then United States Surve}*or, with corruption in 
office, was the cause of the duel. The General was in Washington at the time, 
and his brother, Thos. C. Rector, warmly espoused his cause, and learning that 
Mr. Barton was tho author of the charge, sent him the challenge which 
resulted so fatally. Various other rencounters between tho adherents to the 
"code of honor" took place at later dates on Bloody Island, so that the reader 
will see that its sanguinary appellation had a reasonable and appropriate 
origin. The more prominent of the other duels which occurred there will be 
mentioned when we reach their appropriate dates. 

Notwithstanding the disastrous conflicts between the Indians and the fol- 
lowers of tho Rocky Mountain and Missouri Fur Companies, which occurred 
in 1823, the progress of trade and exploration, under the daring leadership of 
Gen. Wm. H. Ashley and others, was not periously retarded. Benj, O'Fallon, 
U. S. agent for Indian affairs, writes to Gen. Wm. Clark, superintendent of 
Indian affairs, giving an account of the misfortunes to Gen. Ashley's command, 
and adds: "Many circumstances have transpired to induce the belief that the 
British traders (Hudson's Bay Company) are exciting tho Indians against 
us, either to drive us from that quarter, or reap with tho Indians the fruits of 
our labors." It is evident from all the records of that time, that trade and 
exploration in the Upper Missouri and Rocky Mountain region were environed 
with extraordinary hardships and perils, and nothing but the greatest courage, 
energy, and endurance could have accomplished their advancement. In 1824 
Gen. Ashley made another expedition, penetrating as far as the great Utah 
Lake, near which ho discovered another and a smaller, to which he gave his 
own name. In this vicinity he established a fort, and two years afterwards a 
six-pound cannon was drawn from Missouri to this fort, 1200 miles, and in 
1S28 many loaded wagons performed the same journey. Between tho years 
1824 and 1827 Gen. Ashley's men sent furs to this city to the value of over 
§200,000. The General, having achieved a handsome competence during his 
perilous career, sold out all his interests and establishments to the Rocky 
Mountain Fur Company, in which Messrs. J. S. Smith. David E. Jackson, and 
Wm. L. Sublette were principals, Mr. Robert Campbell then holding the 
position of clerk. The followers of this company penetrated the far West in 
every direction and had many conflicts with the Indians, and "traversed every 
part of the country about tho southern branches of tho Columbia, and ransacked 
nearly the whole of California." It is stated on good authority that during 
the five years from 1825 to 1830, of the number of our men engaged in the fur 
trade two-fifths were killed by tho Indians or died victims to the dangers of 
exploring a wilderness. 

In 1824 Frederic Bates was elected Governor, defeating Gen. Wm. Ashley 
after an exciting political contest; but he did not long enjoy the honors of the 
position, for he was attacked by pleurisy and died in August of tho following 
year. 



156 APPENDIX. 

We now reach the date of an interesting event in the history of St. Louis, 
namely, the visit of Lafayette, who reached Carondelet on the 28th of April, 
1825, and the next morning came up to the city. He was tendered a most 
enthusiastic reception, as many of the citizens wore not only of the same 
nationality but all were familiar with his name and fame. He landed opposite 
the old Market House, where half the town were assembled awaiting his 
arrival and received him with cheers, took his seat in a carriage, accompanied 
by Wm. Can* Lane, Mayor, Stephen Hempstead, an officer of the Revolution, 
and Col. Augusto Chouteau, one of the companions of Laclede. Apart from 
private hospitalities, a splendid banquet and ball were given the distinguished 
visitor at the Mansion House, then the prominent hotel and situated on the 
northeast corner of Third and Market streets. Lafayette was at this time 
sixty-eight years of age but still activo and strong ; he was accompaniod by his 
son, George Washington Lafayette, and somo distinguished gentlemen from the 
South. The next morning he left for Kaskaskia, being escorted to the boat by 
crowds of citizens who in every way manifested their esteem and respect, and 
his visit has ahva}-s been regarded as a memorable local incident. 

During this year measures wore taken to locato a permanent route across 
the plains. Major Sibley, one of the commissioners appointod by government, 
set out from St. Louis in June, accompanied by Joseph C. Brown and Captain 
Gamble, with seven wagons containing various goods for trading with the 
Indians on the road. The party solocted a route to Sante Fe, which afterwards 
was adopted as the goneral highway for intercourse and trade. 

The first Episcopal church of any architectural importance was erected in 
this year at the corner of Third and Chestnut streets. It afterwards passed 
into the hands of the Baptists, and finally disappeared as business houses mul- 
tiplied in the vicinity. The first Presbyterian church was erected in 1825, near 
the corner of Fourth and St. Charles streots, and was consecrated by the Rev. 
Samuel Giddings, but also disappeared as business limits expanded. The first 
steps towards building a Court House woro taken in 1826, and the building, a 
largo one of brick, was erected in the following year, and which was destined 
to be succeeded by the present superb structure of stone. Antoino Chenie 
built the first three-story house on Main stroet in 1825, and it was occupied by 
Tracy & Wahrendoff and James Clemens, Jr. ; Jefferson Barracks was com- 
menced in July, 1826, and Center Market in 1827. The U. S. Arsenal was 
authorized by Congress in 1826, and was commenced during the next year on 
the block where it is now situated, but it was many yoars before it was com- 
pleted. An ordinance was passed in 1826 changing the names of tho streets 
with the exception of Market street. From 1809 those running west from tho 
river, excepting Market, had been designated by letters, and they now received 
in most instances tho names by which thoy are at present known. From the 
last date to 1830 no ovonts of prominent interest mark tho history of St. Louis. 
Different ordinances were passed for tho grading, paving and general improve- 
ment of streots; and tho growth of the eit}', if not rapid, was steady and satis- 
factory. Daniel D. Pago was olected Mayor in 1829 and proved an energetic 
and valuable executive. Dr. Robert Simpson was elected Sheriff by a large 



APPENDIX. 1 57 

majority over Frederic Byat, his opponent. The branch Bank of the United 
States was established here during this year. Col. John O'Fallon was appointed 
president, and Henry S. Coxe cashior, and during the years it continued in 
existence possessed the public confidence and closed its career without 
disaster. 

In 1830 the number of brick buildings in the city increased considerably, as 
the multiplication of brick-yards brought that material more into general use; 
a bridgo was erected across Mill creek on lower Fourth street; and, architect- 
urally and commercially, there wero evidences of solid advancement. The 
large }-ards and gardens, which surrounded so many of the dwellings and 
stores of earlier times, gradually disappeared with the growth of improve- 
ments. Some excitement was caused this year by the decisions rendered by 
Judge James H. Peck, of the United States Disti'ict Court, in regard to land 
claims, which were of a stringent character. Judge Lawless, who was interested 
as counsel in some cases in which Auguste Chouteau and others, and the heirs 
of Mackey Wherry, were plaintiffs vs. the United States, having avowed the 
authorship of a rather severe criticism which appeared in one of the news- 
papers on some decisions of Judge Peck, was committed to prison for contempt 
of court. He was released after a few hours, on a writ of habeas corpus, and 
subsequently preferred charges against Judge Peck before the House of Repre- 
sentatives, which, howevor, wero dismissed after some examination. On the 
first day of August in this year the corner-stono of the Cathedral on Walnut 
street, between Second and Third, was laid with religious ceremonies, and this 
building is now the oldest place of worship in the city, as all those erected 
previously have given place to other edifices. 

The population of the city in 1831 was 5,963. Various measures wero 
adopted this year for public improvement, and an ordinance was passed for 
building the Broadway market. The Missouri Insurance Company was incor- 
porated with a capital of $100,000, and George Collier was electod president. 
In August a most shocking and fatal duel occurred on Bloody Island. Spencer 
Pettis, a young lawyor of promise, was a candidate for Congress, his opponent 
being David Barton. Major Biddle made some severe criticisms on Mr. Pettis 
through the newspapers, and a challenge passod and was accepted. They 
fought at five paces distant, and at the first fire both fell mortally woundod. 
Mr. Pottis died in about twonty-four hours, whilo Major Biddle survived only a 
few days. The former had just gained his election, and Gen. Wm. H. Ashley 
was elected to fill the vacancy caused by his doath. 

In 1832 the famous expedition of Capt. Bonnevillo took place, and important 
steps were made in the opening of tho groat country to tbo West. Fort 
William Avas established on tho Arkansas by the Messrs. Bent of this city. 
Messrs. Subletto and Campbell wont to tho mountains. Mr. Wyeth estab- 
lished Fort Hall on tho Lewis river, and the American Fur Company sent the 
first stoamboat to tho Yellow Stono. Tho Asiatio cholera visited the city this 
summer, having first invaded Eastern and Southern cities. It first broke out 
at Jefferson Barracks, and, notwithstanding the most onergotic sanitaiy 
measures, soon spread through the town with- alarming sovority. The popula- 



158 APPENDIX. 

tion was then 6,918, and the deaths averaged, for some time, more than thirty 
a day. The disease prevailed for little over a month, then abated and disap- 
peared. In this fall Daniel Dunklin, the Jackson candidate, was elected Gov- 
ernor, and L. A. Boggs Lieutenant-Governor. During the next year an effort 
was made to impeach Wm. C. Carr, one of the Circuit Judges, and one of the 
oldest citizens, the charge being that he was wholly unqualified for judicial 
station. On examination of the case before both Houses of the Legislature 
he was acquitted. Dr. Samuel Merry was elected Mayor, but was declared 
ineligible on the ground of being a receiver of public moneys, which office he 
held under the appointment of the President, and the next autumn Col. John 
W. Johnson was elected in his place. The taxable property was valued, in 
1833, at only 62,000,000, and the whole tax of the year on real and personal 
property amounted only to §2,745.84. The tonnage of boats belonging to the 
port was hardly 2,000, and the fees for wharfage not more than §600. 

Iu 1834 Mr. Astor retired from business and sold his Western department to 
Messrs. B. Pratte, P. Chouteau, Jr., and Mr. Cabanne, who conducted the 
business until 1839. A few years after this latter date nearly the entire fur 
trade of the West was controlled by the house of Pierre Chouteau, Jr., & Co. 
and the firm of Messrs. Bent & St. Yrain. 

The business of the city was now developing rapidly, although the lack of 
proper banking facilities made itself felt somewhat injuriously; and while the 
unfortunate careers of tho Bank of St. Louis and the Bank of Missouri had 
tended to make the people distrustful of such institutions,, the want of them 
was generally recognized. During 1835-6 applications were made to tho Legis- 
lature to supply this deficiency, but without success, and finally the banks of the 
other States were invited to establish branches in this city. Immigration at 
this period was unusually largo, and a vigorous activity pervaded every depart- 
ment of business. As an illustration of this we quote from one of the news- 
papers : " The prosperity of our city is laid deep and broad. ***** 
Whether we turn to the right or to the left, we see workmen busy in laying 
the foundation or finishing some costly edifice. Tho dilapidated and antique 
structure of the original settler is fast giving way to the spacious and lofty 
blocks of brick and stone. But comparatively a few years ago, even within 
the remembrance of our young men, our town was confined to one or two 
streets running parallel with the river. The 'half-moon' fortifications, tho 
'bastion/ the tower, the rampart, were then known as the utmost limits. What 
was then termed ' The Hill/ now forming the most beautiful part of the town, 
covered with elegant mansions, but a few years ago was covered with shrub- 
bery. A tract of land was purchased by a gentleman now living, as we have 
understood, for two barrels of whisky, which is now worth half a million of 
dollars. ****** Intimately connected with the prosperity of the 
city is the fate of the petition pending in Congress for the removal of the sand- 
bar now forming in front of our steamboat landing." 

The number of boats in 1835, exclusive of barges was, 121 ; aggregate tonnage 
15,470 tons, and total wharfage collected §4,573. In March of this year tho sale 
of the town commons was ordered by tho City Council, and in accordance with 



APPENDIX. 159 

the act of the Legislature nino-tentbs of the proceeds was appropriated to the 
improvement of streets and one-tenth to the support of public schools. The 
sum realized for the latter was small, but it assisted materially in laying the 
foundation of the presont system, so extensive and beneficent in its operation. 
John F. Darby was elected Mayor in 1835, and during that j'ear a meeting of 
citizens was called for the purpose of memorializing Congress to direct the 
great national road, then building, to cross the Mississippi at St. Louis, in its 
extension to Jefferson City. Mr. Darb} T presided at the meeting and George 
K. McGunnegle acted as secretary. The popular interest in railroad enterprises 
which at this timo prevailed in the East soon reached as far as St. Louis, and on 
the 20th of April, 1835, an Intornal Improvement Convention was held in this 
city. Delegations from the counties in the State interested in the movement 
were invited to attend. Dr. Samuel Merry acted as chairman and Mr. McGun- 
negle as secretary. The two railroad lines particularly advocated were from 
St. Louis to Fa} T ette, and from the same point to the iron and lead mines in the 
southern portion of the State. A banquet at the National Hotel followed the 
convention, and the event had doubtless an important influence in fostering 
railroad interests, always so important in the life of a community. 

A most exciting local incident occurred shortly after the sitting of the con- 
vention. A negro named Francis L. Mcintosh had been arrested for assisting 
a steamboat hand to escape who was in custody for some offense. He was 
taken to a justice's office, where the case was examined, and the prisoner, unable 
to furnish the requisite bail, was delivered to Mr. Win. Mull, deputy con-table, 
to be taken to jail. While on tho way there, Mr. George Hammond, the Sheriff's 
deputy, met Mr. Mull and volunteered to assist him in conducting his charge to 
the jail. The three men walked on together, and when near the northeast corner 
of tho Court House block the negro asked Mr. Hammond what would be done 
to him for the offense committed. He replied in jest, "perhaps you will be 
hanged." The prisoner in a moment jerked himself free from tho grasp of 
Mull and struck at him with a boatman's knife; the first stroke missed, but 
another followed inflicting a severe wound in the left side of the constable. 
Mr. Hammond then siezed the negro by the collar and pulled him back, when 
the latter struck him in tho neck with the knifo, severing the important arteries. 
The wounded man ran some steps towards his own home, when he fell from loss 
of blood and oxpirod in a fow moments. The negro fled after this bloody work, 
pursued by Mull, who raised the alarm by shouting until ho fainted from loss of 
blood. A number of citizens joined in tho pursuit, and the murderer was finally 
captured and lodged in jail. An intense public excitoment was created and an 
angry multitude of pooplo gathorcd round the jail. The prisoner was given up 
to them when demanded, by the affrighted jailor, and he was seized and dragged 
to a point noar tho corner of Seventh and Chestnut streets, where the cries of 
the mob — "burn him! burn him!" — were literally carried into effect. The 
wretched culprit was bound to a small locust tree, somo brush and other dry 
wood piled around him and set on firo. Mr. Joseph Charles, son of tho founder 
of the Republican, made an ineffectual effort to dissuade the crowd from their 
awful purpose, but he was not listoned to, and in sullen and unpitjing silence 



160 APPENDIX. 

they stood round the fire and watched the agonies of their victim. In 1836 
the corner-stono of the St. Louis Theater was laid at the corner of Third and 
Olive streets, on the site now occupied by the Custom House and Post Office, 
the parties principally interested in the enterprise being 1ST. M. Ludlow, E. H. 
Bebee, H. S. Coxe, J. C. Lavielle, L. M. Clark and C. Keemle. The building 
erected was quite a handsome one, and the theater was carried on for a number 
of years until the property was purchased by the United States and the present 
government buildings erected. The Central Firo Company of the city of St. 
Louis was also incorporated this year. The first steam flour mill erected in 
St. Louis by Captain Martin Thomas was burned down on the night of the 10th 
of July this year. On the 20th of September tho daily issue of the Missouri 
Republican commenced. 

On tho 1st of February, 1837, the Bank of the State of Missouri was incor- 
porated by tho Legislature with a capital of §5,000,000. The first officers 
elected were John Smith, president of the parent bank, with the following 
directors : Hugh O'Neal, Samuel S. Bayburn, Edward Walsh, Edward Dobyns, 
Wm. L. Sublette and John O'Fallon, all of St. Louis. A branch was also 
established at Lafayette, and J. J. Lowry was appointed president. Not long 
after the passage of the act incorporating the State Bank, another was passed 
excluding all other banking agencies from the State. The new bank with its 
great privileges and brilliant prospects opened business in a house owned by 
Pierre Chouteau on Main street near Yine. Tho total tonnage of the port in 
1836 was 19,447 tons, and the amount of wharfage collected between g7,000 and 
§8,000. In 1837 the Planters' House was commenced, but owing to the financial 
embarrassments of tho year tho progress of the building was slow. Early this 
summer Daniel Webster visited the city and was received with the utmost 
cordiality and enthusiasm. It was expected that Henry Clay would accom- 
pany him, but ho was prevented by business engagements. Tho distinguished 
guest and his family stopped at the National Hotel and romained for several 
days. A public festival or barbecue was given them in a grove on the land of 
Judge Lucas, west of Ninth street, and the occasion became peculiarlj* memo- 
rable from the fact that Mr. Webster delivered an eloquent speech. 

Tho general financial disasters of 1837 were felt to a serious extent in St. 
Louis, and tho Bank of the State of Missouri suspended temporarily. On 
September 26th David Barton, a colleague of Col. Thos. H. Benton in the 
U. S. Senate, and one of tho most distinguished citizens of tho State, died in 
Cooper county, at the residence of Mr. Gibson. In tho summer of the next 
year Thos, M. Doherty, one of the Judges of St. Louis county, was mysteri- 
ously murdered on the road between this cit}' and Carondelet, and the 
murderers were novor discovered. In the fall Gen. Wm. Clark died. Ho was 
the oldest American resident in St. Louis, was tho first Governor of the Terri- 
tory of Missouri, and as superintendent of Indian affairs rendered important 
public services. During this year Kompor College, which was built principally 
through tho exertions of Bishop Kemper, was opened. The medical depart- 
ment was formed shortly after, and owed its origin to Drs. Joseph N. McDowoll 
and J. W. Hall. On the 20th of November the Legislature met at Jefferson 



APPENDIX. 161 

City, and during its session, which lasted until February, 1839, some important 
acts were passed in connection with St. Louis. The Criminal Court was 
established, over which the Hon. James B. Bowlin presided as Judge for 
several years. A bill was passed to incorporate the St. Louis Hotel Company, 
under the auspices of which the Planters' ITouso was completed. A Mayor's 
Court was also established for the purpose of disposing of trials for breach of 
city ordinances. A charter was granted to the St. Louis Gaslight Company, 
but the streets were not lighted with gas by this corporation for many years 
afterwards. The present gas company holds its exclusive privileges under this 
charter; and although the original intention of the Legislature was that the 
city should have the authority to purchase the works at a certain specified 
period, this has not been done and probably never will bo. The charter expires 
by limitation in 1889. Christ Church was erected during this year, on the 
southwest corner of Chestnut and Fifth streets, but after a few years yielded 
up its site to business edifices. Considerable agitation was current about this 
time, owing to the action of the officers of the Bank of the State of Missouri 
in refusing to receive the notes of any suspended banks on deposit or in 
payment at their counter. This resolution was caused by the financial disturb- 
ance that pervaded the country and the fact that a number of banks in different 
States of the Union had again suspended specie payments. A strong effort 
was made by the merchants of the city to procure a rescinding of the resolu- 
tion, and ten gentlemen, among the most prominent and wealthy in the city, 
offered to legally bind themselves to indemnify the bank against any loss 
that might be sustained by the depreciation of the notes of an} T of the suspended 
banks. The directors, however, after a consultation, refused the proposition 
and adhered to their cautious policy, notwithstanding that some of their best 
patrons withdrew their deposits in irritation at this course. The result, how- 
over, showed that the bank acted wisely, and the public confidence in it was 
rather increased than impaired. The County Court ordered the commencement 
of an important addition to the Court Ifouso, commenced in 1825-6, and the 
corner-stone was laid with tho usual ceremonies in the presence of a large 
concourse of citizens 

The total arrivals of steamboats at this port during tho year 1839 was 2,095; 
departures 1,645. In the spring of 1840 the corner-stone of tho Catholic church 
attached to the St. Louis University was laid and a number of other buildings 
erected. During this year the unfortunate affray between Mr. Andrew J. Davis, 
proprietor of the Argus, and Mr. Wm. P. Darnes occurred, arising from some 
severe remarks published in the journal named reflecting on the latter. The 
parties chanced to meet on Third street near the National Hotel, and Mr. Davis 
received several blows on the head from an iron cane in the hands of Mr. Darnes, 
and subsequently died from the effects. The trial of Darnes took place in 
November, and he was found guilty of manslaughter in the fourth degree and 
fined §500. Tho steamer Meteor made tho trip from New Orleans to this city 
in five days and five hours during the early part of this season, being the quick- 
est trip ever made up to that time. The Hon. John F. Darby, the Whig candi- 
date, was elected Ma} r or in April, and at the election for county officers in 



162 APPENDIX. 

August the same party was successful. There were ten insurance companies 
in existence in St. Louis in the year 1841, many of which carried on a semi- 
banking business. 

In April, two young men, Jacob Weaver and Jesse Baker, met a shocking 
and violent death. They slept in a room in a large stone building on the corner 
of Pino and Water streets, occupied in front by Messrs. Simonds & Morrison, 
and in the rear by Mr. Wm. G. Pettus, banker and brokor. An alarm of fire 
came from this building early on Sunday morning, April 18th, and one of the 
firemen in forcing open the rear door discovered the body of Jacob Weaver 
lying in a pool of blood and evidently the victim of a cruel murder. The 
remains of Jesse Baker were discovered the next day in the ruins of the build- 
ing, which was nearly destroyed, and hardly a doubt remained that he had also 
been murdered. It may be mentionod that A. S. Kemball, first engineer of the 
Union Fire Company, was killed during the progress of the fire by a portion of 
the wall falling on him. Subsequent investigations into the crime led to the 
arrest of four negroes named Madison, Brown, Seward and Warrick, who it was 
shown had been influenced to enter the building by the hope of robbery. They 
were all convicted of murder in the first degree, and were executed upon the 
island opposite the lower part of the city, and the four-fold execution became 
so memorable an event that the time was often alluded to as that " when the 
negroes were hung." 

The Legislature extended the city limits considerably this year, and the 
Mayor and Aldermen were authorized to divide the city into five wards. At 
the municipal election in April John D. Daggett was elected Mayor, and in the 
same month the Planters' House was opened by Messrs. Stickney & Knight as 
proprietors. 

There were now in the city two colleges, the St. Louis University and Kemper 
College, with a medical school attached to each. The churches were as follows : 
two Catholic; two Presbyterian; two Episcopal; two Methodist; one Baptist; 
one Associate Reform Presbyterian ; one Unitarian ; one German Lutheran, and 
two for colored congregations. There were two Orphan Asylums, one under 
the charge of the Sisters of Charity, and one under the control of Protestant 
ladies. The Sisters' Hospital was in operation, and there were several hotels, 
the principal of which was the Planters' House; six grist-mills, six breweries, 
two foundries, and a number of other manufactories of different characters. 
Steamboat building had also been established as a permanent business, the 
originators being, it is stated, Messrs. Case & Nelson, and on all sides there 
were indications that the city was fairly launched on a prosperous career. 

Among the prominent ovents of 1842 were the election of Hon. Geo. Maguire 
as Mayor, in April, and the laying tho corner-stone of tho Centenary Church, 
at the corner of Fifth and Pine streets, on the 10th of May. This edifice long 
remained a prominent place of worship, but finally, in 1870, was changed into 
a business establishment. In the autumn of the year the Hon. John B. C. 
Lucas died, one of the earliest citizens of St. Louis, and who had received from 
Presidont Jefferson the appointment of Judge of the highest court in Missouri 
when it was the District of Louisiana. Ho was a man generally esteemed and 



APPENDIX. 163 

respected, and his name is prominently and forever identified with the earlier 
years of our city. In the spring of the year, the "St. Louis Oak" was turned 
out from the boat-yard of Captain Irwine, ready to enter into the Galena trade, 
for which she had been built, and is stated to have been the first steamboat 
entirely built here, including machinery, engines, etc. In tho May term of the 
St. Louis Criminal Court, the Hon. Bryan Mullanphy, Judgo of the Circuit 
Court, was arraigned for alleged oppression in the discharge of his judicial 
duties. The matter originated from the Judge having imposed throe fines of 
§50 each on Ferdinand W. Eisque, a lawyer. Mr. R, feeling some indignation 
while in the court room at a certain ruling which was contrary to that he had 
expected, made some contemptuous gesture or expression of countenance, and 
the Judge ordered him to be seated, and for each refusal imposed a fine, and 
finally ordered him to be removed from tho court room by the sheriff. Judge 
Mullanphy was acquitted. 

There were now two public schools in St. Louis, one on Fourth, the other on 
Sixth street, and they were numerously attended, indicating that the people 
fully appreciated a general system of public instruction. On the third of July 
the steamer Edna, a Missouri river boat, which had left St. Louis the night 
before with a large number of emigrants on board, exploded her boiler with 
terrible results. Fifty-five persons lost their lives by this catastrophe, and 
there was a large list of injured. Gen. Henry Atkinson died this year at 
Jefferson Barracks, where his remains were interred. The only other incident 
we will mention was tho murder of Major Floyd, at his residence near tho Fair 
Grounds, on the night of the 10th of August. The crime was perpetrated by 
a party of fivo men, who robbed the house and escaped. A young man named 
Henry Johnson was convicted and executed for the crime, although he solemnly 
protested his innocence to the last moment. 

In March, 1813, Audubon, the French naturalist, visited the city on his war 
to the Yellow Stone, in the interest of his favorite science. The business of the 
city improved generally this year, and there was no small activity in commerce 
and in building. The State Tobacco Warehouse was in course of erection, as 
well as some sixty stores on Front, Main and Second streets, and some threo to 
four hundred other buildings. 

In Juno, 1841, Macread} 7 visitod the place, and being then at tho highest 
point of his fame and abilities, he created quite a general local sensation. He 
was succeeded by Forrest, who divided with him popular admiration. Judge P. 
Hill Engle died in the early part of the year. A Catholic church of some 
importance was commenced in Soulard's addition. A most memorable and 
disastrous riso in the Mississippi took place this year. About the 8th or 10th 
of June tho river commenced to rise rapidly, while intelligence was received 
of tho rising of the Illinois and Missouri rivers. The levee was soon covered, 
and by the 16th tho curb-stones of Front street were under water, and the 
danger to property and business became quite alarming. At first it was 
regarded as merely tho usual ''Juno rise," but the continued expansion of the 
flood soon convinced the inhabitants of its unprecedented and alarming char- 
actor. Illinoistown and Brooklyn were nearly submerged, the occupants of 



164 APPENDIX. 

the houses being driven to the upper stories. The American Bottom was a 
turbid sea. The town of Naples was inundated, boats plying in the streets; 
and from all places on the rivers came intelligence of heavy losses to stock and 
properly, and the surface of the Mississippi was nearly covered with immense 
masses of drift trees and other substances torn from the shores. As the 
reports reached St. Louis that the inhabitants of the towns and villages on the 
Illinois shore, and other places on the river, were in danger, active measures 
were taken for their relief. Captain Saltmarsh, of the steamer Monona, particu- 
larly distinguished himself by offering the use of his boat gratis. Between 
our and five hundred persons in St. Louis and vicinity were driven from their 
homes, and great distress prevailed. To procure means to alleviate this, a 
meeting of citizens was held^n front of the Court House, and a list of committees 
appointed to obtain subscriptions, and quite a large amount was collected. 
The river reached its greatest height here on the 24th of June, when it was 
seven feet seven inches above the city directrix. A few days before this, the 
glad intelligence was received that the Upper Missouri and Illinois were falling, 
but the effoct was not immediately evident here, and the water did not roach 
the city directrix in its abatement until the 14th of July. The rise of 1844 
obtained a greater elevation than any previous similar event. The great flood 
of 1785, known as L'annee des Grandes Eaux, was surpassed, as were also the 
floods of 1811 and 1826. The number of buildings erected in 1814 was 1,146, 
and notwithstanding the misfortune of the great flood, the year was one of 
general prosperity. 

St. George's Episcopal Church was organized in 1845, the Eev. E. C. 
Hutchinson being pastor. During the summer of this year Col. Win. Sublette 
died in Pittsburgh, on his way East for the benefit of his health, no belonged 
to one of tho old families of St. Louis, and his name has been alluded to more 
than once before in this sketch. In August an election was held for members 
to the Convention to revise the Constitution, and was attended with much public 
interest. Tho City Hospital was commenced, but was not finished in its present 
form for several years afterward. The erection of Lucas Market was also 
commencod. 

The Mercantile Library Association was formed in 1846, and ultimately led to 
the orection of tho fine building now occupied by them on Fifth street. The 
originators of the library were John C. Tevis and Eobert K. Woods, and tho 
first meeting of citizens in connection with tho project was held at the counting 
room of Mr. Tevis on the evening of December 30, 1846. There were eight 
gentlemen present, namely : Col. A. B. Chambers, Peter Powell, Eobort K. 
Woods, John F. Franklin, E. P. Perry, Wm. P. Scott, John Halsall and John 
C. Tovis, all merchants except Col. Chambers. On the 13th of January follow- 
ing, a meeting was held in accordance with a public call, at Concert Hall, and 
the Association was organized by the adoption of a constitution. On the 16th 
of February rooms were rented at the corner of Pine and Main streets, and in 
April it was open to tho members. At tho end of tho first year the cash 
receipts amounted to $2,689, the members numbering 283, with 1,680 volumes 
in the library. The association prospered rapidly and finally a joint stock 



APPENDIX. 165 

company, designated the Mercantile Library Hall Association, was formed, the 
main object being the erection of a suitable building for the library. The first 
president was Alfred Vinton. On the 10th of June, 1851, it was determined to 
purchase a lot on the corner of Fifth and Locust streets at a cost of $25,500. 
A design for the building by Robert S. Mitchell was adopted and the present 
edifice erected. Tho estimated cost was 870,000, which, with the price of the 
lot, made tho total expenditure $95,500. To illustrate the growth of this 
noble institution we may add that the present building is now insufficient for 
its accommodation, and the question of erecting another, fire-proof in charac- 
ter, at a C03t of §350,000 is being seriously considered. 

On the 10th of January of this year Mrs. Ann Biddlo died. She was the 
daughter of John Mullanphy, who was tho possess.** of great wealth and had 
established the male department of the Mnllanpl / Orphan Asylum, besides 
being identified with other enterprises of a noble and charitable character. 
Mrs. Biddle was the widow of Major Biddle, who was killed in the duel with 
Mr. Pettus on Bloody Island, and shortly after her husband's death established 
a Female Orphan Asylum, and even surrendered her fine residence on Broad- 
way for religious and charitable purposes. In her will she left an appropri- 
ation for a Widows' and Infants' Asylum, whilst her private charities, of 
which there is no earthly record, are believed to have been very large. The 
inclosed monument near Tenth and Biddlo streets, with its inscription, "Pray 
for the souls of Thomas and Ann Biddle," is familiar to man} T of our readers. 
The spot for the monument was designated by Mrs. Biddle, who bequeathed a 
sum of money for the purpose of its erection. It is appropriately placed in close 
contiguity with the noble institutions with which the names of the deceased are 
identified. Tho harbor of St. Louis again attracted public attention this year, 
owing to a sand-bar forming in the river nearly in front of tho landing, ex- 
tending from Duncan's Island nearly to Cherry street, and interruption of 
commerce becamo so evident that tho municipal and general governments 
were compelled to take some activo measures, which resulted in the removal 
of the obstructions. An idea of the proportions now assumed by the 
commerce of the cit}* may be gathered from the fact that in 1845 there 
were nearly 2,100 steamboats connected with the port, the aggregate tonnage 
being 358,015, and the number of keel and flat boats was 346. 

The war declared between the United States and Mexico created this 3-ear 
an unusual excitement in St. Louis. Numerous volunteers came forward, 
and the St. Louis Legion, a military organization, prepared for the field. A 
meeting of citizens was held with tho view of raising supplies for the vol- 
unteers, and Col. J. B. Brant started a subscription with §1,000, and Lucas 
Mullanphy, Robert Campbell, Alfred Yinton, Benjamin Stkkney and others 
subscribed liberal!}*, and a few days afterwards the Legion departed for the 
South, under command of Col. Easton, wiih a grand public farewell demon- 
stration in their honor. The corner-stone of the Odd Fellows' JLall had been 
laid April 26th, 1845, and on tho 26th of October of this year the building was 
dedicated. 

In the early part of l^IT the Boatmen's Savings Institution was incorpo- 



1G6 APPENDIX. 

rated, and it commenced a career which has proven not only successful, but most 
beneficial to the public. The most prominent event of this year was the public 
anniversary celebration, on the 15th of February, of the founding of St. Louis. 
The grand features of the day were an imposing public pageant and a banquet. 
At an early hour the various societies and other bodies participating marched 
t.o the place of rendezvous, and at ton o'clock tho procession moved in the fol- 
lowing order: Chief Marshal Col. Thornton Grimsley and his aids, followed 
by the military companies, and tho Apprentices' Library Association bearing 
banners. Then camo the Committee of Arrangements, and next the invited 
guests, tho latter being the most interesting portion of the procession. In an 
open carriage was seated Ivlr. Piorre Chouteau, president of the day, and the 
only survivor of those who accompanied Laclede when he founded tho city on 
the 15th day of February, 1764. The other occupants of this carriage wero 
Pierre Chouteau, Jr., and P. Ligueste Chouteau, his sons, and Gabriel S. 
Chouteau. In the next carriage were the Hon. Wm. C. Carr, Col. John 
O'Fallon and Gen. Wm. Milburn, and in other carriages wero many others of 
the old inhabitants of the city. Without further specifying the features of this 
procession, some of which were highly interesting and unique, illustrating all 
the industries and trades, wo will state that after carrying out the line of march 
the pageant ceased, and the Hon. Wilson Primm, orator of the day, addressed 
the multitude from a stand on the east sido of Fourth street, fronting the Court 
House, eloquently reviewing tho history of St. Louis from its founding to the 
date of the celebration. The address was carefully prepared and contained a 
quantity of valuable historical data not previously, wo believe, presented in 
literary form. Tho banquet took place in the State Tobacco Warehouse and 
proved an exceedingly brilliant affair. Among tho speakers we may mention 
Col. L. Y. Bogy, Col. Campbell, non. Wm. C. Carr, Mr. Thos. Allen, Mr. 
Crockett, Col. Kennett, Dr. Linton, Mr. Darby, Mr. Treat, George E. Taylor 
and others. A ball at the Planters' Houso closed the proceedings of the mem- 
orable day. On Docember 20th of this year the telegraph lines connecting 
with the East reached East St. Louis, and our city was placed in telegraphic 
communication with tho leading cities of tho country. On tho 28th of the 
same month an important meeting of citizens took place, to consider the advisa- 
bility of the city subscribing §500,000 towards the construction of the Ohio 
and Mississippi Eailroad, the route of which from Cincinnati through Yincennes 
Lad been established. A committeo of seven, comprising Messrs. Hudson, 
Gamble, Kennett, Darby, Kayser, Yoatman and Collier, were appointed for the 
purpose of petitioning tho Legislature to authorize the subscription. The 
measure being supported by a general vote of tho people, tho subscription was 
finally made. Tho two most important agents in the development of com- 
merce — tho tolograph and tho railroad — wero now identified with the growth 
of St. Louis, and her advancement became accelerated greatly through their 
influence. 

No public events of a very important character mark tho year of 1848, but 
tho carcor of the city, commercially and in referenco to general improvements, 
was satisfactory. On the 22d day of June Edward Charless died in his fiftieth 



APPENDIX. 167 

year. Ilis death excited no small amount of public attention and regret, as 
he was very genei*ally known, having come to this country at a very early 
period, with his father Joseph Charless. Several public meetings were held in 
connection with the intelligence of the victorious operations of our arms in 
Mexico and the exciting reports of the revolutions in France and Germany. 
Towards the close of the year rumors prevailed of the approach of the cholera, 
which for more than a year provious had appeared in Europe and subsequently 
at differont points in the United States. A few cases occurred here, and the 
authorities were stirred up to active sanitary precautions, but the dreaded dis- 
ease did not develop itself until the ensuing spring. In April, 18-19, tho Belle- 
fontaine Cemetery was established, tho ground being previously known as the 
" Hempstead Farm," and was purchased from Luther M. Kennett. The names 
of the trustees mentioned in the act of incorporation are : John F. Darby, 
Henry Kayser, Wayman Crow, James E. Yeatman, James Harrison, Charles S. 
Eannells, Gerard B. Allen, Philander Salisbury, Wm. Bennett, Augustus 
Brewster and Wm. M. McPherson. The cemetery is now one of tho most 
beautiful in the country. This year was one of the most disastrous in the 
history of St. Louis, owing to tho outbreak of the cholera and the occurrence 
of a terrible conflagration. About ten o'clock on Thursday night, May 19, a 
fire broke out on the steamer White Cloud, lying at the wharf between Yine 
and Cherry streets, and tho steamboat and fire bells soon spread the alarm 
throughout the city. The flames rapidly enveloped tho steamer, and, notwith- 
standing vigorous efforts to check their course, communicated to three or four 
other boats in the vicinity. The White Cloud became loosened from the wharf 
and drifted down tho river with the current, tho blazing wreck came in collis- 
ion with a numbor of other steamers, and in a short time twenty-three or four 
boats were in flames. The dreadful disaster did not, however, stop here. A 
stiff breeze prevailed from the northeast, and an avalanche of fiery embers 
was whirled over tho buildings on the levee, and soon a number of them were 
in flames. The first which caught fire wore near the corner of Locust street, 
and the conflagration rapidly extending south and westward, assumed tho 
most stupendous proportions, and the utmost excitement and dismay prevailed 
over the city. Without sketching in detail tbo devastation of the terrible 
calamity, we may say that it was by far the most serious of the kind that has 
over visited St. Louis. All tho buildings, with only a few exceptions, from 
Locust to Market, and between Second and the river, were destroyed or badly 
injured, and the progress of the fire was only arrested by blowing up buildings 
with gunpowder. In one of these explosions Mr. T. B. Targeo, the well-known 
auctioneer, was killed, and several others injured. Twenty-three steamboats, 
three barges and one canal boat were destroyed, tho total value being esti- 
mated at about §440, 000. The whole value of property destroyed reached over 
$3,000,000. The occurrence of tlje fire was a serious blow to our city, but 
the energy of its citizens was displayed in the manner with which they labored 
to repair its ravages, and the evidences of desolation and ruin soon disappeared, 
and new buildings were erected of a more substantial character than the old, 
and Main street was considerably widened. 



168 APPENDIX. 

\Yc turn from tho fire to tho second great calamity of the year. As before 
stated, the coming of the cholera was heralded dui'ing the fall of '18, and early 
in the ensuing spring it reappeared, the number of deaths increasing daily as 
the summer approached, and in June it assumed a virulent epidemic form and 
spread dismay throughout the community. At the time of tho outbreak of the 
disease the sanitary condition of the city was exceedingly bad, the present 
sewer system having hardly been commenced, and most of the alleys were 
unpaved and in a shockingly dirty condition. When the cholera declared itself 
the authorities adopted energetic sanitary measures, but without avail, and the 
mortality increased steadily. As is generally the case, there was a conflict of 
opinion respecting the disease among the physicians, and at first the medical 
board pronounced the use of vegetables injurious, and the Cit}~ Council passed 
an ordinance prohibiting their sale within the city limits, but this was shortly 
afterwards revoked. The Council finally, on recommendation of the Committee 
of Public Health, adopted quarantine regulations, and a site for quarantine 
was adopted on Arsenal Island. Notwithstanding all the efforts made, the 
number of deaths increased to over 160 per diem, which in a city with a popu- 
lation of less than 61,000 indicates the truly alarming extent of the epidemic. 
The second day of July was observed as a clay of humiliation and prayer, out 
it was not until late in tho month that there was any sensible abatement in the 
epidemic, and about the middle of August it had nearly disappeared. Between 
June 25th and July 16th the greatest mortality occurred, and from April 30th 
to August 6th the total number of de.'iths from all causes was 5,989, of which 
1,060 were from cholera, and among the host of victims were many well-known 
citizens and several prominent plrysicians. The disasters of this year seriously 
interrupted the progress of our city, but their effects were soon repaired, a 
bountiful harvest was gathered, and with tho general improvement of the 
locality devastated by the fire, business revived and commercial facilities were 
extended. During the year the immense emigration to California, owing to the 
discovery of the gold fields and the general impression of the vast wealth and 
resources of the Far "West, brought the project of a great railroad route across 
the continent prominently before the minds of our people. It was determined 
to call together a Mass Convention in St. Louis, for the purpose of considering 
the enterprise, and invitations were sent to the prominent citizens of nearly 
every State in the Union. The convention assembled on the 15th of October, 
in the Court House, and was called to order by Judge A. T. Ellis of Indiana. 
The result of the deliberations was a general conviction of the necessity of the 
road, and an influential committee was appointed to prepare an address to the 
people of the Union, soliciting their co-operation in inducing Congress to take 
the requisite action towards the end desired. It is thus evident that St. Louis 
citizens were the first to move in the great enterprise of a continental railroad, 
and there are many living to-day who participated in these preliminary meas- 
ures, who now witness the practical fulfillment of the stupendous achievement 
which they inaugurated. The fine building on the corner of Seventh and Myr- 
tle streets, then connected with the medical department of the St. Louis Uni- 
versity, was built during this year, and owes its origin to the munificenco of 



APPENDIX. 100 

Col. John O'Fallon. Louis A. Labeaume was this year elected Assistant 
Treasurer of the United States, and his bondsmen wore all St. Louis citizens, 
representing an aggregate wealth of over 66,000,000. 

An exciting and bloody affair occurred at the City Hotel on the night of the 
29th of October. A day or so before, two unknown gentlemen arrived at the 
hotel on the corner of Third and Vino streets, then kept by Theron Barnum. 
and some troublo in reference to accommodations arose between them and Mr. 
Kirby Barnum, nephew of the proprietor, but it was settled without anything 
serious having occurred. On the night mentioned, Mr. Kirby Barnum retired 
to his room, and shortly after a shot was fired through the window, which fatally 
wounded him, and in attempting to leave the room he fell in the ball. Wm. 
Albert Jones, who occupied a room on the same floor, on opening his door to 
ascertain the cause of the firing, was shot dead, and H. M. Henderson and 
Captain W. D. Hubbell, who were rooming with him, were both wounded. The 
affair produced intense excitement, and the two strangers, who were French- 
men named Gonsalve and Raymond Montesque, were accused, of the crime. 
On the first trial the jury did not agree, and at tho second, Gonsalve, who had 
confessed his guilt and alleged "God made him do it," was acquitted on the 
ground of insanity, and Raymond was shown to be innocent. The only other 
incident we will mention in connection with the year is the extraordinary 
robbery at the bank of the State of Missouri, the sum of $120,000 having dis- 
appeared from the vaults, but the perpetrators were never discovered. 

ST. LOUIS FROM 1S50 TO 1S70. 

The twenty years embraced between 1850 and 1870 were those of the 
greatest development of the city as well as of the commercial energies of the 
entire nation. Before that period the growth of St. Louis had been compara- 
tively slow, and although within less than a century an astonishing super- 
structure had been rearod upon the rude foundation laid by Laclede, the real 
wonders of our city's history were things yet to be achieved. In 1850 the 
population of the city was about 74,000, less than one-fourth of that of the 
present. Our railroad system, our iron manufactures, our public institutions 
in a great measure, our hotels and business palaces, our parks, sewerage system, 
broad avenues, beautiful private residences, and the other innumerable features 
and elements which go to make up a great city, were either not in existence 
or barely commenced. Within two decades, what a magnificent expansion has 
been wrought ! and yet there is no question but it will be greatly exceeded by 
that of the next twenty years. 

In the preceding sketch we have glanced somewhat in detail at the rise and 
progress of our city from its foundation up to a time within the memory of 
most of our citizens, but its character will not permit us to continue further 
tho narration of events in chronological order. Our object has been to connect 
with this book, devoted mainly to tho dolineation of the destiny of St. Louis, 
some faint portraiture of her historic past, and it is not our province to pursue 
the work over later years, with tho events of which nearly all are familiar. It 



170 APPENDIX. 

is a curious fact that from the year 1819, during which occurred such terrible 
disasters, may be dated the more rapid development of our city. Forth from 
the ruins of conflagration and the gloom of the shadow of death, she emerged 
on a bright and broad career with pulses bounding in exuberant life. It is 
indeed astonishing to review the mighty steps in civic progress which mark 
every year in the decades above mentioned. The Eailroad Convention held in 
1819 was followed quickly by substantial fruits, and on the 4th of July, 1851, 
ground was broken in the practical commencement of the Pacific Eailroad, the 
company having been organized some time previously through the exertions of 
such citizens as Thos. Allen, James H. Lucas, Daniel D. Page, John O'Fallon 
and other public-spirited gentlemen. The following year witnessed tho com- 
mencement of the Ohio and Mississippi Eailroad, also the Torre Haute and 
Alton ; and in 1853 the Chicago and St. Louis Eailroad, then called the xVlton 
and Sangamon line, was opened to Carlinville by a public excursion. On the 
30th of June, 1855, the Ohio and Mississippi was opened to Yinconnes, and on 
the 4th of July of that year an excursion of citizens took place to the last- 
named place. Thus our now spendid railroad system was inaugurated, and the 
rapidity of its development is significantly illustrated when we refer to tho list 
given in another part of this work, by which it is seen we have twenty-four 
trunk lines converging at St. Louis, nearly all in practical operation, connecting 
our city with every portion of the country, and sending out daily trains to the 
Atlantic and Pacific, the great Lakes of the North and the waters of tropical 
seas. In every other department of business enterprise our progress was equalh" 
rapid and steady. Massive business structures sprung up as if by magic along 
the lines of our leading streets, and with the multiplication of residences the 
territory of the city increased every day. The splendid Lindell Hotel, com- 
menced in 1857, gave us one of the most important structures of the kind to 
be found in the country, and until its lamentable destruction by fire in 1867 it 
formed one of the grand adornments of our city. The beautiful garden at 
Tower Grove, commenced in 1850, assisted materially the growth of the western 
part of the city. Other parks and public squares were speedily formed, and 
the work of street opening and other public improvements were carried on 
uninterruptedly by the city authorities. Our sewer system was energetically 
elaborated, and the old method of supplying our citizens with water was sup. 
planted by well-constructed waterworks, which have now again given place 
to a new system, with settling reservoirs at Bissell's Point and ntorago reser- 
voir at Compton Hill, constructed at a cost of nearly §1,000,000. The other 
improvements effected during the period indicatod are too numerous to be 
specifically mentioned. Manufactories of all kinds came into existence in dif- 
ferent portions of tho city, and the wharf north and south was improved and 
the elevator was constructed, together with a number of storehouses and ware- 
houses. The public school system, from its small beginnings before mentioned^ 
has expanded to unoqualod proportions, and now the enrollment of scholars is 
noarly 32,000, total number of district schools 41, number of colored schools 6 ; 
and besides there are the Normal and High Schools and the departments in 
connection with the Polytechnic. All of our public school buildings, with per- 



APPENDIX. 1 1 1 

haps a few exceptions, which will soon be abolished, are handsome, substantial 
structures, and form a prominent architectural feature in our city. In order, 
however, to fully appreciate tho educational system of St. Louis, wo must 
include also the universities and private schools and public libraries, which 
perform so important a work for the public. The aggregate, we think, fairly 
establishes the statement that our facilities for public instruction and the dis- 
tribution of knowledge are unoqualed in proportion by any city of tho world. 

In December, 1855, a charter was obtained for the St. Louis Agricultural and 
Mechanical Association, and officers were appointed May 5th, 1856) as follow*: 
J. Richard Barret, President; T. Grimslcy, A. Ilarper and II. C. Hart, Vice 
Presidents; II. S. Turner, Treasurer; G. O. Kalb, Agent and Recording Secre- 
tary, and Oscar W. Collett, Corresponding Secretary. Tho present site of the 
Fair Grounds was purchased from Col. John O'Fallon, suitable buildings wore 
erected, and in the fall of 1856 the first fair was held. It proved a most satis- 
factory success, and so the career of the association was fully inaugurated, and 
it has resulted in substantial and important benefits to St. Louis. The fail s 
were interrupted during the exciting and troublous years of the war, but recom- 
menced in 1866, and each year since have iucreased in interest and attendance 
and now transcend any event of the kind in the country. In fact they have 
ceased to be representative merely of the arts and industries, stock and agri- 
cultural products of one State: they arc National exhibitions, with a premium 
list of great liberality; and if their future growth correspond with their past, 
their fame will extend beyond the boundaries of our country, and they will 
become international in character. 

The formation of our system of street railroads corresponds in vigor an 1 
rapidity with tho general growth of the city during this period. It was not 
until 1859 that the old omnibus lines began to give place to this improved 
method of local transportation, and we have now nine or ten separate and dis- 
tinct lines in full operation, running between 160 and 170 cars and carrying a 
total of between seven and eight thousand passengers each day. 

Among the important public structures erected we may mention tho Custom 
Ilouse and Post Office in 1859, John Ilogan being the first Postmaster. Tin* 
building is now inadequate to tho wants of the city, and will soon doubtless be 
replacod by a magnificent structure in a different locality at a probable cost of 
between two and three millions of dollars. 

In 1857 tho site was purchased for the Southern Hotel, and tho work of 
excavating was commenced in tho following spring. The laying of masonry 
progressed steadily until December 4th, 1858, when it ceased temporarily, and 
having been covered to protect it from frost and rain it remained in this con- 
dition until April 14th, 1860, when work was resumed and continued until 
August 15th, 1861, when it was again suspended until June 17th, 1862. Tho 
splendid hotel was finally opened to the public September 6th, 1865, the lessees 
being Messrs. Laveillo, Warner & Co., and tho establishment representing in 
federal currency nearly ono million and a half of dollars. The scale of the 
house is indicated by the following items : 17,000 yards of carpeting were 
recpiired to carpet it, and 1,400 gars-burners to givo it light; it has about 850 



172 APPENDIX. 

rooms -with over 3,000 feet of corridor; the main one on each story is 257 feet 
lung, with three others crossing it at right angles in length from about 80 to 
200 feet. Other fine hotels came into being during the period of which we are 
speaking, and notwithstanding tho destruction of the Liudoll tho hotel facilities 
of St. Louis correspond with the wants of the city, and already measures are 
being discussed for largely increasing them. The Exchange, finished in 1859, is 
a handsome and imposing building, but will soon be supplanted by one more 
commensm-ate with our expanding commerce. The Polytechnic, finished in 
1867, is now tho stately headquarters of the public school department, while 
the handsome building of the Masonic Temple, of more recent construction, 
adds materially to tho adornment of the same locality. Tho County Insane 
Asylum was commenced in 1865 and finished in April, 1869. It is situated 
about two miles west of Tower Grovo, the justly celebrated place of Mr. Shaw, 
and the total cost was about 8900,000, including the furniture and tho expense 
of boring tho artesian well. Tho capacity of the institution is about 800 
patients. The beautiful building of the new jail, now nearly completed, was 
commenced in 1809, and forms architecturally one of the most attractive public 
buildings in the city, and reflocts great credit on tho architect, Mr. Thomas 
Walsh. The total cost will bo about §550,000. Tho Court House was com- 
pleted in 1862, and some particulars of its history and cost will be found else- 
where. In mentioning these buildings we have only selected a few instances 
illustrating tho development of tho city. Had wo space to present a full state- 
ment of the various important edifioes orectod during the last twenty years 
the list would be lengthened almost indefinitel}*. Rangos of magnificent stores 
have been built along our principal streets, almost innumerable church edifices 
and hospitals, asylums, and other eleemosynary institutions, have arisen in 
various directions, and there are very few cities on tho continent with a greater 
n umber of elegant private residences. 

In this brief summary of the progress of St. Louis during the last two 
decades our object has been merely to indicate rather than describe, and we 
have passed over in silence tho scenes and events of tho war. From a thriving 
inland city she has advanced to the proud position of the metropolis of the 
West, whose architectural and commercial standing is a visible prophecy of 
her destiny as the future Babylon of the Old and Now Worlds. Her past may 
well be a matter of pride to the people identified with hor career, and whose 
intellectual and nervine force has made hor what she is ; but more so should bo 
the glorious aggregate that now foreshadows tho grander developments to 
come. Everj'thing speaks of greatness. The mighty arches of steol soon to 
span our glorious river will form the greatest bridge ever built by man, and 
over which will pass tho trade of moro than half the Avorld; our population 
steadily expands, and the human tide that flows in upon us under the magnetic 
influence of increasing prosperity seems to know no ebb, the mineral re- 
sources of our State have only inaugurated their development, and tho smoke 
of tho Carondclet iron furnaces by day and their lurid illumination by night, 
like tho symbol of Divine protection in the olden time to the chosen people, 
guarantee blessings different but not less real in character, while the vast 



APPENDIX. 1 78 

country westward is filling yearly with busy millions and all tributary to our city. 
Thus on all hands are promises for tho future, and the energies of our people 
grow more active and concentrated. Is it strange, therefore, that with this 
unequaled spectacle of human growth before us, those thundering prophetic 
voices sounding round us, wo should believe devoutly that our city is 
dostinod to bo the Capital of this Nation and the Future Great City of the 
Globe? It is not an ardent enthusiast that conceives tho idea, but a phalanx 
of solid realities that enunciate it as the sure consummation of their combined 
power. 

ST. LOUIS AND ITS CHARTERS. 

The town of St. Louis was first incorporated on the 9th day of November, 
1809, by the Court of Common Pleas for the District of St. Louis, upon the 
petition of two-thirds of the taxable inhabitants, under authority of an act of 
the Legislature of the Territory of Louisiana, passed June 18th, 1808, entitled 
"An act concerning towns in this Territory." Tho Judges constituting the 
Court were Silas Bent, President, and Bernard Pratte and Louis Labeaume, 
Associates. The charter granted by the Court was tho only one under which 
the town existed until 1822, when it was incorporated as a city. It is to bo 
found in the records of the Court in Book A, page 331, in the following 
words : 

"On petition of sundry inhabitants of the town of St. Louis, praying so 
much of said town as is included in the following limits to be incorporated, 
to-wit: Beginning at Antoine Boy's mill on the banks of the Mississippi river, 
thence running sixty arpents west, thence south on said line of sixty arpents 
in tho rear until tho samo comes to the Barriere Donoyor, thence due south 
until it conies to tho Sugar Loaf, thonce duo east to the Mississippi, from thence 
by the Mississippi to the place first mentioned. The Court having examined 
the said petition and finding that the same is signed by two-thirds of the taxa- 
ble inhabitants residing in said town, order the same to be incorporated and 
tho metes and bounds to bo surve}"ed and marked and a plat thereof filed of 
record in tho Clerk's office." David Dolawnay and Wm. C. Carr wore appointed 
Commissioners to superintend the first election of five trustees in accordance 
with tho law. 

Tho next act in reference to incorporation is entitled" An act to incorporate 
tho inhabitants of the town of St. Louis, approved December 9th, 1822." Tho 
limits stated in this act are as follows : Beginning at a point in tho middle of 
the main channel of the Mississippi river, due east of tho southern end of a 
bridge across Mill creek, at the lowor end of the town of St. Louis ; thenco 
duo west to a point at which the line of Seventh streot extending south- 
wardly will intersect tho same; thenco northwardly along tho western side 
of Seventh street, and continuing in that courso to a point due west of the 
northern side of Boy's tower; thenco due east to the middle of the main chan- 
nel of the river Mississippi ; thence with tho middlo of the main channel of tho 
said river to the beginning. By this act the town, bounded as above given, 



174 APPENDIX. 

was "erected into a city" by the name of the city of St. Louis, and the inhab- 
itants constituted a body politic and corporate under the name and style of 
the Mayor, Aldermen and Citizens of the City of St. Louis. 

An act supplementary to that last mentioned was passed January 15, 1831, 
but without any alteration of the boundaries. On the 16th of January, 1833, an 
additional act was passed dividing the city into four wards. On the 26th of 
February a new charter was passed by the Legislature, which reiterated the 
boundaries of the act of 1822, but contained new and more specific provisions 
for municipal government. On February 8, 1839, a new charter was again 
promulgated by the Legislature, which was much more elaborate than any of 
the preceding, being divided into articles, a formality not previously observed. 
This established the boundaries as follows : Beginning at a point in the middle 
of the main channel of the Mississippi river due east of the mouth of Mill 
creek (so called) ; thence duo west to the mouth of said creek ; thonce up the 
center of the main channel of said creek to a point where the southorn side 
of Eutgers street, produced, shall intersect the same ; thence westwardly along 
the southorn side of 6aid street to the intersection of the same with the western 
line of Seventh street, produced; thence northwardly along the western line of 
Seventh street to the northern line of Biddle street ; thence eastwardly with 
the northern line of Biddle street to the western line of Broadway, to a point 
where the southern boundary of survey number six hundred and seventy-one, 
produced, shall intersect the same ; thence eastwardly along the southern 
boundary of said survey to the Mississippi river; thence due east to the middlo 
of the main channel of the Mississippi river; thence down with the middle of 
the main channel of said river to the place of beginning. 

On tho 15th of February, 1811, an act amendatory to the foregoing again 
changed the boundaries as follows: Beginning at a point in the middle of the 
main channel of the river due east of the southeast corner of St. George, in St. 
Louis county ; thence due west to the west lino of Second Carondelet avenue ; 
thence north with the west line of said avenue to the north lino of Chouteau 
avenue; thence northwardly in a direct line to tho mouth of Stony creek, above 
the then oxisting north line of the city; thence due east to the middle of the 
main channel of the Mississippi river, and thence south to the place of beginning. 

On February 8, 1813, an act was approved entitled "An act to reduce the 
law incorporating the city of St. Louis and the several acts amendatory thereof, 
into one act, and to amend the same." This act did not change the city limits. 
Another act similar in title to that just mentioned was approved March 3, 1851, 
but it left the limits as last quoted. 

Various supplementary and amendatory acts besides these mentioned wero 
passed in reference to the city, but the next extension of tho limits was mado 
by an act specifically for that purpose, which was approved December 5, 1855. 
This act made tho lino of Keokuk street tho southern boundary of tho city, to 
a point six hundred and sixty feet west of Grand avenue ; thence northwardly 
and parallel to the line of Grand or Lindell avenue at a distance of six hundred 
and sixty feet therefrom, until the line intersects the Bellefontaino road; 
thonce northeast to the line dividing townships 45 and 16 north, range seven 



APPENDIX. 175 

east ; thence eastwardly with said lino and in the same direction to the middle 
of the main channel of the Mississippi river; thence southwardly with the 
meanderings of said channel to place of beginning. 

In 1SG6 the Legislature granted another charter for the city of St. Louis, 
which divided the city into ten wards but loft the boundaries unchanged. 
The act was approved March 19, 1866. 

In 1S67 another charter was obtained which added Carondelet to the city 
by extending the southern limits, but this extension did not go into effect until 
the first Tuesday in April, 1870. The city proper remained unchanged as to 
boundaries, and the extension authorized received the designation of the "New 
Limits." This charter divided the city into twelve wards. It remained 
unchanged until 1870, when an act was passed by the Legislature entitled " An 
act to revise the charter of the city of St. Louis and to extend the limits thereof." 
There was no actual extension of the limits made by this act, but the provi- 
sions of the previous charter in reference to the incorporation of Carondelet as 
part of the city were again enacted, it being provided that for the first five years 
not more than one-half of the rates of taxes authorized for the old limits should 
be levied on the property in the "new limits." 

This is the existing charter of the city, but whether it will be so or not after 
the next session of the Legislature is quite problematical. Last winter an 
important bill was introduced in the House by Mr. W. H. Stone, of the St. Louis 
delegation, consolidating the governments of St. Louis city and county and 
extending the limits of the city to include the entire territory of St. Louis 
county. This bill elicited much attention and comment, but was not acted upon 
by tho Legislature, and will probably come up again for consideration at the 
session next winter. In some of its details it may be imperfect, but the gen- 
eral extension of limits proposed is advisable and necessary in anticipation of 
the destined development of the city. Municipal growth is not circumscribed 
by the invisible lines of corporate authority, but it should not bo even slightly 
retarded by the want of appropriate legislation. 

IIISTOEY OF THE COURT HOUSE. 

The Court House building which towers above our city, and gives to it, when 
viewed from a little distance, an aspect like London with its St. Paul's, is one 
of the most massive and imposing architectural structures of the kind in tho 
country, and the following historical particulars respecting it will be interest- 
ing to our readers : 

On the 14th of December, 1822, an act was approved entitled " An act con- 
cerning a Court House and Jail in the county of St. Louis," and, in accordance 
with its provisions, Thomas Sappington of Gravois, Ludwell Bacon of Bon- 
homme, Bobt. Quarles of St. Ferdinand, and Pierre Chouteau, Jr., and Wm. Carr 
Lane, of the town of St. Louis, were appointed Commissioners to select a 
proper site within the town of St. Louis, whereon to erect a Court House for 
said county. The Commissioners woro also authorized to receive proposals 
from all persons willing to make donations of lands for the purpose named, 



176 APPENDIX. 

and to accept any donation that might seem to them most beneficial to tie 
county ; and to cause a deed of conveyance to bo executed, whei"eby the land 
so donated should be conveyed to the Justices of the County Court and their suc- 
cessors in office. Under the authority conveyed in this act, the Commissioners 
named selected the site now occupied by the Court House, which was donated 
for the purpose by the proprietors, John B. C. Lucas and Auguste Chouteau; 
the date of the report of the Commissioners being August 25, 1823. It is 
stated that under the old regime, the whipping-post was placed at a point on 
the site now occupied by the Court House. The first step towards the erection 
of the building was taken b} 7 the County Court on the 9th of November, 1825, 
the Justices then being Joseph Y. Garnier, Peter Ferguson, and Francis ZSTash; 
when the sum of 87,000 was appropriated for the purpose, and Alexander 
Stuart was appointed Commissioner to superintend the work. On tho 7th of 
February, 1826, an additional appropriation in the sum of 85,000 was made, 
and on the 9th of the same month Mr. Stuart submitted plans for the building, 
which were approved, the estimate of the cost being 812,000. Some difficulty 
appears to have occurred relative to the plans adopted, for on May 1, 1826, a 
plan prepared by Messrs. Morton & Laveille was approved, and 82,000 addi- 
tional was appropriated. Stuart's plan was apparently thrown overboard, and 
the contract for the erection was awarded to Joseph C. Laveille and George 
Morton, for 814,000, and boars date May 26, 1826. At a meeting of the Court, 
held on July 26th of the same year, Henry S. Geyer was appointed Commis- 
sioner to superintend the building of the Court House, vice Alexander Stuart, 
resigned. This building was completed on the 10th of August, 1833, the entire 
cost being 814,416.16. 

In June, 1838, the public business had so increased, and the necessity for 
greater accommodations was so evident, that the court asked for proposals for 
clerks' offices on the southwest corner of the square (Fifth and Market streets), 
to be 132 feet long by 36 feet in width. In September, 1838, another public 
notice was given, and an offer of 8100 for the best plan for a buildiug on the 
Public Square, either adjoining the Court House or adjacent thereto. A plan 
submitted by Henry Singleton on July 8th, 1839, was adopted, and the designer 
was appointed architect and superintendent. This was really the commence- 
ment of the present imposing structure, and the first contract for work was 
made by Mi*. Singleton with Joseph Foster, for the carpenter work, on August 
12, 1839, and in April, 1842, a contract for the cut-stone work of the rotunda 
was awarded to J. H. Hall. The work progressed slowly until 1851, when 
Robert S. Mitchell was appointed architect and superintendent, and he imme- 
diately proceeded to tear down the old building, which stood where the cast 
wing was to be erected, and in October, 1852, contracted with Mr. Bernard 
Crickard for the cut-stone work for the wing. It was subsequently decided by 
the Court to have the north and south wings, and on tho 28th of May, 1S53, 
.Mr. Mitchell contracted with Mr. Crickard for the cut-stono work of tho south 
wing, and in July, 1853, for tho six stone columns in the portico of the east 
wing. In May, 1S57, the court superseded Mr. Mitchell and appointed Thomas 
D. P. Lanham to the office at a remuneration of four per cent, on the amount 



APPENDIX. 



177 



of work dono under his supervision. The County Court was abolished by the 
Legislature, and on the first Monday in August, 1859, the Board of County 
Commissioners were elected, and on the 21st of September following the Board 
declared the office of architect and superintendent vacant, and the day after 
appointed William Eumbold to the office at a salary of §125 per month. The 
work from this period progressed with steadiness. The design for the dome 
prepared by Mr. Lanham was rejected, and the wrought-iron dome devised by 
Mr. Eumbold was adopted, having been carefully tested, and the contract for 
the erection awarded to Mr. James McPheeters. Without further pursuing 
the different steps in the progress of the work, we will state that the splendid 
building, after the lapse of a quarter of a century from the time of its com- 
mencement, was pronounced completed at the beginning of July, 1862. 
The cost of the work was as follows : 



Cut-stone work $3S3,G4i 



Other stone work 

Iron work 

Brick and material 

Plastering 

Carpentry 

Pain ting and glazing 

Roofing 

Sundries, labor, "material, etc 
Architect and superintendent 



48,455 
151,342 

71.11.-) 
21,054 

140,007 
21,050 
23,825 

288.329 
43,844 



05 
01 
22 

23 
65 
19 
13 
49 
71 
33 



Total cost bl, 199, 871 91 

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF ST. LOUIS SINCE 1S10. 



1810 
1811 
1812 
1813 
1814 
1S15 
1816 
1817 
ISIS 
1819 
1S20 
1821 
1822 
1823 
1824 
1825 
1S20 
1827 
1828 
1829 
1830 
1831 
1832 
1833 
1834 
1835 
1836 
1S37 
183S 
1839 
1S40 



Auguste Chouteau Chairman. 

Charles Gratiot... 

Charles Gratiot 

Charles Gratiot 

Clement B. Penrose 

Elijah Beebe 

Elijah Beebe 

Elijah Beebe 

Thomas F. Biddick 

Peter Ferguson 

Pierre Chouteau, Sen 

Pierre Chouteau, Sen 

Thomas McKnight 

William Carr Lane Mayor. 

William Carr Lane ' ' 

William Carr Lane ' ' 

William Carr Lane " 

William Carr Lane " 

William Carr Lane " 

Daniel D.Page " 

Page " 

Page " 

Pasre " 



Daniel D 
Daniel D 
Daniel D 

*Samuel Merry 

John W. Johnston 
John F. Darby.. .. 

John F. Darby 

John F. Darbv 

William Carr Lane 
William Carr Lane 
John F. Darby 



1841 John D. Daggett 

1842 George Maguire 

1S43 John M. Wimer 

1844 Bernard Pratte 

1545 Bernard Pratte 

1546 Peter G. Camden 

1847 Bryan Mullanphv 

1848 John M. Krum... 

1849 James B. Barry 

1S50 Luther M. Kennett 

1851 Luther M. Kennett 

1852 Luther M. Kennett 

1853 John How 

1854 John How 

1855 Washington King 

1856 John How 

1857 John M. Wimer 

185S Oliver D. Filley 

1859 Oliver D. Filley 

1860 Oliver D. Fillev 

1861 Daniel G. Taylor 

18G2 Daniel G. Taylor 

1863 Chaunceyl. Filley 

1864 James S. Thomas 

1865 James S. Thomas 

1866 James S. Thomas. 

1867 James S. Thomas 

! 1868 James S. Thomas 

1869 Nathan Cole 

! 1870 Nathan Cole 

1 1S71 Joseph Brown 



.Xlavor 



* Disqualified in consequence of holding office under the general governintn;. 
elected Mayor in his stead. 



John W. Johnston 



178 



APPENDIX. 



THE CITY PARKS. 

There is no more striking evidence of high civilization than the reproduction 
in the heart of a great city of the sweet and serene beauties of nature, for it is 
only true culture that appreciates the fact that the useful and beautiful are com- 
bined in a higher sense. How delightful is it to slip from the busy, dusty life 
of business thoroughfares, into the fragrant, sylvan quietude of a beautiful 
park ! how refreshing to mind and body, reassuring us that no mere mechanical, 
irrational force has created the maze of buildings we have left behind, -but 
the toiling hands and the practical j'et tender and compassionate spirit of 
enlightened mankind, which, while urging the development of the useful- 
remembers to foster the beautiful, and the means of pure and health-giving rec- 
reation. In St. Louis, while thoS-e is no. park at presont on a scale correspond- 
ing with the needs of the community in this respect, this feature of adornment, 
and we might say necessity, is not lacking. Wo have a number of parks and 
some very beautiful ones, and so situated that nearly every section of the city 
has one contiguous. Lafayette Park is one of the most beautiful places of the 
kind in the country, and grows more attractive each year. The following 
table furnishes a glance at the area, situation, etc., of our p^irks as the}' exist 
at present : 











DISTANCE AND DIRECTION 


NAME OF TARK. 


DIMENSIONS 


AREA. 












FROM COURT HOUSE. 




600x230 


feet. 


3 17-100 acres. 


4 1-3 miles S. S. West. 




000x230 


t i 


3 17-100 " 


3 3-5 miles S. S. West. 




GOOxGOO 


i i 


8 252-1000 ' • 


3 1-2 miles Southwest. 




1142x1142 


i i 


29 956-1000 " 


1 1-2 miles Southwest. 


Washington Square 


792x330 


1 1 


6 " 


3-8 of a mile W. (7 blocks). 




508x336 


i i 


3 346-1000 " 


3-5 of a mile W. N. W. 




372x305 


i * 


2 607-1000 ' ' 


9-10 of a mile Northwest. 




300 feet diameter. 


1 622-1000 " 


1 2-3 miles Northwest. 


Clinton Place 


300 " 


i i 


1 622-1000 " 


1 2-3 miles Northwest. 




300 " 


i i 


1 622-1000 ■« 


1 2-3 miles Northwest. 




2320x300 


feet. 


15 303-1000 " 


2 miles Northwest. 


Hyde Park 


789x690 


i ( 


11 833-1000 *■ 


2 1-2 miles N. N. West. 


Exchange Square 


HSOxoGO 6-12 


IS 18-100 " 


1 3-4 miles North. 




1180x7458 


11 276 7G-100 •« 


3 1-2 miles Southwest. 


Benton Park 


005x1060 


» i 


15 50-100 «■ 


1 1-2 miles S. S. West. 




395 94-100 acres. 





Tower Grove Park will be opened to the public during the present year. 



THE ST. LOUIS PARK OF FRUITS. 



"With other works of magnitude, begun and in progress by the business men 
of St. Louis, is a great Park of Fruits, destined to extend over one thousand 
acres. From the annual address of its able originator and superintendent, Mr. 
C. H. Haven, to the members of the Association, we take pleasure in extract- 
ing the following remarks, showing it to be in truth u the creation of the first 
park of the kind in the United States, of such an extent and usefulness, when 
completed, as will make it a matter of prido as well as profit to all concerned 



APPENDIX. 179 

in its formation. Tho originality of, as well as benefit derived from this work, 
consist in possessing, as we now do, in tho cultivated grounds of our first or Mis- 
souri-River division, and in determining to have, on the beautiful site of our second 
or Pacific Railroad division, all the accessories of a park of flowers, such as ave- 
nues, drives, seats, etc., but distributed among fruits of every description, instead 
of flowers, while such a park, through the invitations given by our members, 
will be visited by and attract men of capital, and valuablo emigration from all 
countries desirous of ascertaining, from actual observation, tho worth and pro- 
ductiveness of the upland counties of our State, which form the nearest back- 
country to St. Louis for one hundred and fifty miles south and west of her; 
which counties should be tho first to be settled, on account of the homo trade it 
will give rise to, amounting to several millions of dollars annually, and which 
can never be diverted to any other point. 

"Such a park, we submit, will be of lasting benefit to St. Louis, while it will 
become the favorite resort of our members and their families forever when 
seeking health and recreation, or when desirous of obtaining, fresh from our 
vines and fruit trees, their valuable products, or from our cellars the pure 
wines stored therein. There are now 437 members of the Association." 
• 

STKEET RAILWAYS IN ST. LOUIS. 

In 1843 Erastus Wells, now our respected and valuable Representative in 
Congress from the First District, and Calvin Case, established the first omni- 
bus in St. Louis, the rolling stock consisting of one omnibus. It differed consid- 
erably from the kind now in use, having no glass windows but curtains instead, 
and elliptic spi'ings in place of the present low flat ones, and was built in this 
city at a cost of §200. The route was from Third and Market, along Third and 
Broadway to North Market street; and the receipts for the first six months 
did not exceed 82.50 per day. In 1844 the enterprising proprietors put on 
another coach, and within five years increased their business considerablj', and 
had from twelve to fiftoen busses running, and for the first two years Mr. 
Wells drove one of them himself. In 1844 Michael Sutter startod a line on 
Second street and Carondelet avenuo, running from Market street to the 
Arsenal. During the ensuing year Mr. M. Kounts established a lino on 
Market street, running between Main street and Camp Spring; the same year 
T. O. Duncan and John C. Yogol started a lino on Franklin avonue, between 
Broadway and Twenty-fifth street, having purchased for the purpose from Case 
& Wells their pioneer omnibus for 8100. In 1846 Luther Case commenced a 
line on Fourth and Seventh streets, between Green street and Flora Garden. 
In 1850, Calvin Caso, Erastus Wells, Robert McO'Blenis, and Lawrence 
Mathows, forming the firm of Case & Co., purchased all the lines in the city, 
and established a coach line between here and Bellevillo, 111., and subsequently 
one on Olive stroet between Fourth and Seventeenth streets. In January, 1856, 
the copartnership was dissolved by the death of tho senior member, who "was 
killed in tho memorablo accident on the Pacific Railroad, at the Gasconade 
bridge. The different lines were owned and operated by the surviving part- 



180 APPENDIX. 

ners, but separately, until 1S59, when the street railway mania reached St. 
Louis, and the omnibuses were speedily superseded. 

The St. Louis, Missouri, Citizens' and People's Kail way Companies were 
formed in the spring of 1859, and the first company that started their cars 
was the Missouri, on their Olive street line, on July i, 1859. The first Presi- 
dent was Erastus Wells, who has filled that position up to the present time. 
They have now nino miles of track. The St. Louis commenced operations 
during the same summer, and has now fifteen miles of track; D. H.Armstrong 
was the first President. The People's Line commenced running in the autumn 
of the same year j Col. E. M. Eenick, President, and has now six miles of track. 
The Citizens' got under way in August, 1859 ; B. Gratz Brown, President, 
with six miles of track. In 18G2 the Union Eailway started; B. Gratz Brown, 
President, and with six miles of track. In 1861 tho Tower Grove & Lafayette 
Company commenced running ; E. M. Eonick, President, and seven miles of 
track. The Lindell Eailway Company got under way in 1866 ; Dwight 
Durkee, President, with nine miles of track. Tho same year tho Bellefontaine 
Eailway Company went into operation; Mr. Krum, President, and six miles 
of track. The Suburban Eailway Company was started in 1860 ; A. E. Easton, 
President, and four miles of track. Tho total length of. street railway in 
St. Louis is about 70 miles, and from 160 to 170 ears are employed each 
day, carrying from six to seven thousand passengers. Not less than 1,400 
horses are required in the business of these lines, and over 500 men are 
constantly employed. It is thus seen that the increase in this line of business 
has fully corresponded with the general growth of the city. Twenty-eight 
years ago there was one omnibus running, carrying not more than fifty pas- 
sengers per diem ; now wo have nine distinct lines, each doing a prosperous 
business and representing a large amount of invested capital. There is some- 
thing appropriate and fitting in the fact that the man who was mainly instru- 
mental in laj'ing the foundation of this extensive business is now one of the 
representatives of St. Louis in Congress. Mr. Wells is a prominent repre- 
sentative of the self-made men of the West. His career has been valuable 
in many ways to St. Louis, and his 'political elevation is an evidenco that 
his fellow-citizens appreciated his worth, and his earnest labors in behalf of 
the city. 

STREET IMPROVEMENTS, ETC., IN ST. LOUIS. 

Tho following particulars have been obtained from the office of the City 
Engineer : Total length of street pavement in St. Louis, 171 miles ; total 
length of sidewalk pavement in St. Louis, (about) 300 miles; total length of 
wharf pavement (11£ miles river front), 2 \ miles; total length of water-pipe 
laid in St. Louis, 102 miles; total length of sewers in St. Louis, 117 miles; 
total number of streets, 600. The total length of public sewers in the city is 
21} miles; total cost, Sl,730,389.08. Total length of district sowers, 92 J 
miles ; total cost, 81,918,000. 









APPENDIX. 181 



PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. 



The vast importance of our system of public instruction renders the follow- 
ing resume of general interest in addition to what has already been said: 

In 1812 Congress passed an net sotting apart certain vacant lands in the 
Territory of Missouri, situated in or adjoining to St. Louis, St. Charles and 
other settlements, for the support of schools in those " towns and villages." 
Other acts amendatory and supplementary to this were passed in 1821 and 
1831. Out of these grants a large school fund for St. Louis, amounting to 
upwards of $2,000,000, has accumulated. Adding to this the value of property 
in use for school purposes, we have a total of §3,500,000 permanent invest- 
ment for the city schools, and under the management of tho corporate body 
known as the Board of President and Directors of Public Schools in St. Louis. 
The Board has not only the sole and exclusive control of the public schools 
and the school funds, but it possesses also tho power of levying and collectirg 
a city tax not exceeding one-half of one per cent. With these ample means 
at its disposal it has built up a magnificent system of schools, furnishing free 
education to the youth of the city in all the branches required, from the lowest 
primary grades up to tho finished education for the man of business. 

In 1860, when the population of St. Louis was 100,773, the number of pupils 
in the public schools was 11,563; in 1870, with a population of 310,861, the 
number had increased to 21,347. This increase took place during a decade in 
which war nearly broke up the schools for a considerable period. It will be 
noted that the per cent of the entire population in the public schools had 
increased during the decade from seven per cent, in 1860, to eight per* cent, in 
1870, notwithstanding the immenso increase of the city. 

The rate of increase for the present year (1870-1S71) is still greater, and 
testifies to the efficient management and growing popularity of the system of 
public schools as well as to Ihe growth of the city. 

For the year ending June 1871. the number of pupils enrolled in the day 

schools 2S,283 

Pupils enrolled in evening schools 3,609 

Total 31,S02 

Total number of teachers 548 

Total number of separate schools, including one Normal School, one High 
School, six colored schools, forty-one district schools 49 

About 1,600 of the pupils were enrolled in colored schools (held in separate 
buildings). 

Most of the schools have German taught in them by competent teachers, so 
that pupils of German parentage ma} r attend the public schools without the 
danger of losing tho knowledge of their native tongue while they acquire the 
English. 



182 



APPENDIX. 



A flourishing Public School Library, containing upwards of twenty-five 
thousand well-selected books, is a novel feature in the system, but is a great 
practical success. Children learn how to read and what to read, and continue 
the habits learned in school through life. 



MISSOURI SCHOOL STATISTICS. 

Table showing the Number of Schools, Universities, #c., Teachers and Pupils in the State, 
also the Income Supporting Public Instruction. 





A 

o 
o 
fii 
o 
en 
<-. 
o 

©' 


TBACnERS. 


ruriLs. 


"S 

s 

o 
•a 
a 

m 


.2 
a 


c 
S 
ft 
O 

3 


3 • 

b 


. 


5 




a 
ft 




cj 

i 


5.t2 

O 


CLASSICAL 


78 
2 
32 
14 

20 
1 

7 

a 

i 

i 

8 
6 

5,867 

3 

45 

42 

337 

5,110 

5(57 

531 

33 

1 

1 

1 


260 
39 
139 

82 

102 
6 

G7 
G 


309 
13 
5(5 

240 

8 


4,891 

589 

2,618 

1,684 

1 200 

30 

286 

68 


5,281 

17(1 

2,039 

3,072 

297 

1 


$27,821 

10,000 

17,300 

521 

10,800 


$957 


$2,160 


$104,595 




75,000 




957 


100 
2,000 


153,825 




175,770 






126,400 
3,000 
















24,800 






10.SOO 








Technological. 








4 
19 

4,349 

7 
63 
35 

4,02(1 

277 
23S 
34 

2 

3 


2 
6 

2,860 

10 

51 

42 

717 

2,037 

478 

401 
72 

1 
4 


1 

75 
740 

159,279 

75 

2,570 

1,461 

23,782 
131,391 

11,440 

10,827 
467 
100 

46 


15 
12G 
155 

152,017 

172 

2,8)4 

1,638 

26, SOS 

120,478 

14,506 

13,003 

1,414 








800 









57,000 
40,800 

63,070 








Military. 

rUBLTC SCHOOLS 


2,300 
300 

1,000 
1,000 


2,231,303 

2,435 

3s,si7 

35,318 

693,405 

1,461,328 

20,000 


560,839 

194 

7,608 

4,830 

121,970 

426,237 


High : 


1,700 
23,418 




11,078 




8,410 




18,464 




484,576 




379,211 










102,865 










2,000 




50 
39 








500 






20,66o 












Total 


6,400 


1.72H 


3,346 


171,919 


166,820 


13.100 


2,251,303 


560,839 


674,040 







* Not yet organized. 

The rapid growth of Missouri and St. Louis is not confined alone to the 
developments of their material interests, but extends with equal encourage- 
ment to every department of activity and improvement. Considering the 
great embarrassments imposed by four years of blighting war, education has 
in spite of an impoverished treasury made rapid advances. 

In 1^00 there were in the State 4,120 public schools which were attended by 
175,855 pupils. By the census returns for 1870, as seen above, there are now 
5,8G7 public schools in the State, which are attended by 311,296 pupils. 



APPENDIX. 



183 



POPULATION. 

Table showing the Census of the City of St. Louis according to Nationalities 

and Color. 



BORN IN UNITED STATES. 


CORN IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 


STATES. 


i 


2 
o 


00 

S 

■3 

a 


COUNTRIES. 


CJ 


■a 

V 

u 
o 
o 
O 


IB 

a 
.2 
'•5 

a 

h- 1 


00 

o 

a 
2 




426 

246 

123 

628 

231 

56 

340 

6,720 

2,439 

1,424 

278 

3,706 

1,882 

712 

1,502 

2,542 

746 

145 

554 

121,931 

58 

1 

343 

955 

9,250 

190 

6,8S0 

2 

5,878 

150 

150 

1,439 

129 

578 

2,235 

45 

660 

251 


559 
274 

1 

6 

11 

28 

205 

174 

32 

26 

9 

2,010 

611 


1 
7 




7 

27 

3 

27 

751 

254 

2,052 

1,841 

5S 

4 

74 

9 


8 

1 








































Florida 




















British America : 


16 


6 




Indiana 


















fjouisiana 








Brit'h America, not 
Total Brit. America.. 














174 
27 
66 

8 

911 

12,2S1 

1 

1 

3 

8 

38 

243 

362 


1 
2 

9 











4 


1 






Michigan 










17 

178 

5,366 

94 

2,788 

5,881 

0,430 

269 

310 

8,858 

4,849 

9 

ISO 

4S2 

220 

24,269 

1,775 

3 

2,566 

2,933 
59,040 

5 

2 

643 

126 

32,239 

785 

25 

67 

1 


1 


















8 








Europe, not speci- 
fied 




Nevada 












Germany: 












North Carolina 








Ohio 










Oregon 











210 

3 

148 

1,764 

89 

4 

1,647 

9 

S 

30 


2 
1 






Khode Island.., 






South Carolina 










Tennessee 











Texas 


















Virginia 




























District of Columbia.. 


"Wurtemburg 

Germany.not speci- 
fied 








TERRITORIES. 








Alaska 


Great Britain, not 






















Colorado 


2 y 


1 
1 


1 




Dakota 








Idaho 








Indian 


5 
9 

27 

18 

4 

1 












Montana 




4 


Italy 










9 








Utah 




5 


2 














I 


Pacific Islands- 




1 



184 



APPENDIX. 



POPULATION— Continued. 



BORN IN UNITED STATES. 


BORN IX FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 


STATES. 


6 


. 

V 

a 

o 
© 


GO 

a 
.5 
■3 
a 


COUNTRIES. 




•6 

9) 

Si 

o 
© 


CO 

Q 

.5 
-3 
a 


o 

CO 

HI 

B 

is 
5 


At sea under United 
States flag 


1 
625 








292 

14 

86 

1 

1 

1,202 

15 

45 

237 

2,949 

2 

147 

74 

45 


















53 


2 












Sandwich Islands... 








Total U S 


176 540 


9'} ()!?> 


ao 


























South America 


2 






RECAPITULATION. 












Total Whites 288, 


737 

088 

3S 

1 

198,615 
112,249 










" Indians 










Wales 








" Chinese 




1 






" Natives 
































sin. 


864 310 8P.4 


112,197 


43 


8 


1 











By the census of 1860 the total foreign-born population of the county was 
96,086. The colored population then consisted of 1,865 free and 4,346 slave, 
the total population of the county being 190,524. 



Table showing the White and Colored Population of St. Louis County. 



ST. LOUIS COUNTY. 



Bonhomme 

Central 

Carondelet 

Meramec 

St. Ferdinand 

St. Louis 

St. Louis 

First Ward 

Second Ward 

Third Ward 

Fourth Ward 

Fifth Ward 

Sixth Ward , 

Seventh Ward 

Eighth Ward 

Ninth Ward 

Tenth Ward 

Eleventh Ward.. 
Twelfth Ward..!* 



White. 



5,304 
8,120 
5,000 
2,853 
6,262 
8,395 

288,705 
32,099 
21,295 
23,109 
36,633 
26,257 
20,408 
16,875 
19,659 
22,26S 
19,430 
31,885 
18,787 



Colored. 



324.729 



858 
803 
297 
5S3 
952 
805 

22,117 

1,607 

580 

754 

2,538 

3,510 

1,104 

1,630 

7,051 

649 

1,173 

687 

834 



26,415 



41 



Native. 



4,704 
6,017 
3,609 
2,705 
5,346 
5,817 

188,608 
23,389 
12,166 
13,341 
26,363 
19,624 
15,116 
12,603 
18,600 
13,368 
12,29S 
19,018 
12,722 



Foreign. 



1,458 
2.906 
1,778 
731 
1,868 
3,386 

112,256 

10,319 

9,689 

10,537 

12,810 

10,150 

6,396 

5,105 

8,110 

9,574 

8,325 

13,502 

6.899 



226,806 | 124, 3S3 



Total. 



6,162 
8,923 
5,387 

3,436 
7,214 
9,203 

310,864 
33, 70S 
21,855 
23,878 
30,173 
29,774 
21,512 
1S,50S 
26,710 
22,922 
20,623 
32,580 
19,621 



351,189 



APPENDIX. 



185 



LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS. 

The following is the report of Prof. Hilgard, of the Coast Survey, on the 
observations made to determine the exact geographical position of St. Louis, 
and which demonstrates the same to be sufficiently central for the National 
Capital or the emporium of all nations : 



LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE OF TnB OBSERVATORY AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, ST. LOUIS, 

MISSOURI. 

The observations of the southern limit of totality of the solar eclipse which 
occurred on August 7, 1809, having been made at a point near St. Louis, by a 
party under the direction of Major J. Pitzman, County Surveyor of St. Louis 
county, it became important to ascertain with precision the geographical posi- 
tion of that point, in order that by comparison with a corresponding point of 
observation on the northern limit, the position of the central lino of eclipse 
and the apparent diameter of the moon might be inferred. 

It was judged advisable to make the requisite observations of latitude and 
longitude at some point within the city and refer the eclipse station to the 
same by triangulation, both on account of the convenience of observers and 
because the geographical position of St. Louis had never been before ascer- 
tained with precision. Arrangements were therefore made with the officers 
of the Washington "University, in pursuance of which piers for the instru- 
ments of the Coast Survey were erected by them on the grounds of the uni- 
versity, and a temporary building was put up over them at the expense of the 
Coast Survey. 

The observations for latitude were made in December, 1869, by Mr. O. H. 
Tittmann, of St. Louis, aid in the Coast Survey, with a 28-inch zenith telescope 
by twenty-six observations upon nine pairs of stars. The resulting latitude is 
38 deg. 38 min. 3.2 sec. 

The following are the individual results, arranged in the order of magnitude, 
and the successive means of the greatest and least, and so on : 



38 de°r. 38 min. 0.3 sec. 5.9 sec. 3.10 sec. 



1.0 


5.3 


3.15 


1.1 


5.0 


3.05 


1.3 


4.7 


3.00 


1.5 


4.7 


3.10 


1.7 


4.7 


3.20 


2.1 


4.5 


3.30 



38 desr. 38 min 



2.1 sec. 

2.2 

2.3 

2.7 

2.9 

3.1 



4.4 sec 

4.2 

4.1 

4.0 

3.7 

3.G 



3.25 sec. 

3.20 

3.20 

3.25 

3.30 

3.35 



From the accordance of which we infer by the calculus of probabilities that 
the resulting mean value has no greater uncertainty than two-tenths of a second 
of arc. 

The observations for longitude were deferred until the following April on 
account of the unfavorable season. The}- were made by Prof. Wm. Eimbeck, 
of St. Louis, in conjunction with the United States Observatory at Wash- 
ington. 



186 APPENDIX. 

At St. Louis the instruments used -were a 26-inch transit and sidereal chro- 
nometer, the correction of which was determined by the observation of not less 
than 17 stars on each night. 

After star observations, the chronometer was compared by coincidences of 
beat with another chronometer going to mean time, which was then carried to 
the telegraph office, whence signals, coincident with its beats, were sent to 
Washington, and recorded on the chronograph at the United States Observatoiy, 
on which the beats of the sidereal clock were at the same time registered. 
Next, the "Washington clock was put into the circuit, and its beats, repeated at 
St. Louis, noted by coincidences with those of the mean time chronometer, 
which was finally carried back to the observatory, and again compai'ed with the 
siderial chronometer, in order to make cei'tain that no derangement had taken 
plaGe during transportation. 

The observations at Washington were made by Professor Wm. Harkness, 
U. S. N., with the 12-feet telescope of the transit circle. 

The following are the results of four different nights on which observations 
were obtained at both places, and signals successfully exchanged : 

St. Louis. West of Washington. 

April 12 52m 3G.92 

11 23 3G.89 

" 26 36.95 

" 30 36.97 

Mean 52m 36.93 

The greatest difference from the mean is 0.04 or one twenty -fifth part of a 
second. 

The difference in time or longitude between the two places derived from the 
signals sent eastward will appear too small by the length of time required for 
the transmission of signals along the telegraph wire and through the repeating 
and recording instruments, and too large by the same amount from the signals 
sent westward. The effect disappears in the mean of the two comparisons, and 
half their difference measures the time of transmission, which, in the present 
case, was 0.16, or about one-seventh of a second of time. 

In order to ascertain the personal equation between the two observers. 
Professor Eimbeck subsequently proceeded to Washington, and observed the 
time at a point in the meridian of the transit circle, with the transit and chro- 
nometer used at St. Louis, and compared his time so obtained with that 
observed by Professor Harkness, with the transit circle and chronograph in the 
same manner in which the comparison had previously been made when ob- 
serving at St. Louis. It was thus ascertained that Eimbeck was on the average 
later than Harkness by 0.08 sec, by which amount the longitude above given 
must be diminished. At the same time, the transit circle being 0.07 sec. west 
of the center of the observatory to which the longitudes are referred, we must 
add that quantity and obtain finally for the longitude of the station in St. 
Louis west of Washington 52 min. 36.92 sec, which valuo is not uncertain 
more than two-hundrodths of a second. The Washington Observatory being 5 



APPENDIX. 187 

hours 8 minutes 12.0 seconds west of Greenwich, we obtain for the station in 
St. Louis 6 hours 00 minutes 48.92 seconds. 

In order to reduce the observed values to the center of Court Ilouse, we 
must deduct from the latitude 25.7 seconds, and from the longitude 3.63 seconds, 
so that Ave have finally for the Court Houso of St. Louis : 

De£. Min. Sec. 

Latitude 38 37 37.5 

II. M. S. 

Longitude G 45.29 

Deg. Min. Sec. 

Or in arc 90 11 19.35 

The public are indebted to the Western Union Telegraph Company for the 
free use of their lines, kindly granted through General Anson Stager, Superin- 
tendent of the Western Division, for the purpose of the foregoing determina- 
tions. Special acknowledgment is due to Mr. M. D. Grain, of the Western 
Union telegraph office in St. Louis, for his assistance in the transmission of 
signals and messages, which was rendered gratuitously, as was all the arduous 
and long-continued work of Professor Eimbeck. 

J. E. HILGARD, 

Li charge of Coast Survey office. 

THE WATER SUPPLY. 

In a different portion of this work we have spoken of the water supply of 
St. Louis, and described the new and extensive system of waterworks now in 
successful operation, and we have to add only some statements respecting the 
quality of tho water used by our people. The Mississippi river is not only the 
source of the prosperit}' of our city, more than any other agency, but as it 
supplies the water necessary for the inhabitants, and consumed in tho various 
industrial processes, it is the perennial and essential fountain of individual and 
commercial life. The discolored appearance of the water as ordinarily taken 
from the river, very naturally creates the impression that its use must be pre- 
judicial to health, although even a stranger must admit its peculiar sweetness 
and purity of taste. The fact, however, is now fully demonstrated, alike by 
practical experience and scientific analysis, that this water is excellently 
adapted for human use, and that in mingling its yellow flood with the Missis- 
sippi, the Missouri river has in nowise deteriorated, but rather improved, the 
quality and wholesomeness of the original stream. Contrary to the popu- 
lar idea upon the subject, clearness in river water forms rather an objection 
than a recommendation for its general use. The Wabash and Illinois river- 
are clear, but the water is inferior in quality to that of the Missouri, and tho 
people living on the Meramec bottom do not use the water of that river, 
although clear, but supply their wants from other sources. Among sailors, 
tho water obtained from the river at ]S«ew Orleans is in high repute, and they 
say that it and tho water of the Nile are the best in the world for long sea 
voyages, keeping fresh and sweet during periods when that obtained from 
other sources is almost unfit for use. One reason assigned for the preservative 



188 APPENDIX. 

qualities is, that the Missouri river water, flowing down from the snow moun- 
tains, is too cold for animalcula to live in it, and being free from vegetable 
matter, and with a current so swift that stagnation is impossible, and rarely 
overflowing the banks except in high floods, there is nothing mingling in it that 
can contaminate, while the confluence of the various tributaries only increases 
the admixture of sand and alluvial without adding any elements calculated to 
deteriorate. The Missouri or Mississippi water is, consequently, excellently 
adapted for human use, while tho attractiveness of perfect clarity can be 
secured by the cheap and simple process of letting the sediment settle before 
use, so that this one objection is easily removed. Nearly every person who 
has once become accustomed to the use of our river water prefers it to any 
other on account of its constant sweetness and freshness of taste, and even in 
the country, the people living on the Missouri river prefer tho river water for 
drinking to that which they can obtain elsewhere. It is said of Col. Benton, 
when in Congress, that he had his drinking water at one time shipped from 
St. Louis to Washington. Tho suporior quality of this water has been fre- 
quently tested, and our fellow-citizen, Mr. Easterly, daguerrean artist, whose 
business demands the purest water, has bestowed some careful labor on the 
subject with very satisfactory results. We present tho following interest- 
ing statements prepared by that gentleman for publication more than two 
years ago : 

"Allow mo, as a party interested, to call attention to a few facts that havo 
come under my own observation in relation to the much abused water of the 
Mississippi. In the winter of 1841, I made the trip by sea from New York to 
New Orleans, on the packet ship Mississippi. Our commander was Capt. 
Hillard, who was saved from tho burning steamer Lexington, on Long Island 
Sound, by lashing himself to a bale of cotton. Ho was a man noted for cool- 
ness in danger, and strictly truthful on all subjects. The captain assured mo 
that the water we were drinking was taken on board the ship at New Orleans, 
had made the trip from there to Liverpool with a cargo of cotton, from Liver- 
pool to New York, and was then on its way back to New Orleans. He said that 
they bad taken water on board at Brooklyn, New York, but that it was not so 
good. He also told me that the Mississippi water would keep longer at sea 
than any water known to sea-faring men, and next in quality was the water 
obtained at Brooklyn. In a later conversation with the mate, he confirmed all 
that the captain had said on the subject. We used ice in the wator most of the 
time, and I confess that to my taste it was as pure as tho water from my native 
hills in Vermont. 

"Capt. Hillard's statement induced me to further investigate tho subject, and 
in the summer of 1847, by way of experiment, I filled a five-gailon stone jar 
from the hydrant, and placed it in a small hall-room in the fourth story of 
Glasgow's row, then over tho Mercantile Library Hall. The room was closed 
for two and a half months from the first of June, and tho hot sun poured in at 
tho oast window at will. At tho end of this period tho water was found on 
examination to bo perfectly clear and pure to tho taste, except that it was warm. 
I drank of it freely and frequently, and no bad result followed. 



APPENDIX. 189 

" On tho 20th of June, 1850, I started on a pleasure trip to the falls of St. 
Anthony, on the steamer Anthony Wayne, the first steamer that ever made a 
landing at the Falls. Between St. Louis and tho mouth of tho Missouri river I 
filled a five-gallon demijohn with water from the current of tho river, placed it 
on the upper deck of the steamer, where it would be most exposed to the 
weather and hot sun, in which condition it remained until wo again reached St. 
Louis, which was fifteen days from the time of starting. I then subjected it to 
the weather and sun as much as possible until tho middle of Novembor. I 
then bottled a portion of it, and have it now, subject to the inspection of tho 
scientific and curious. It is now nearly seventeen years old, clear, pure and 
sweet to the taste, and has never undergone the process of fermentation which 
some believe necessary to the purification of water. I will here state that the 
sand was allowed to settle of itself without the aid of any of the articlos some- 
times used for clearing the water, all of which will cause it to taint, except 
alum. 

"In 1866 I used a saturated solution of alum in the proportion of one fluid 
ounce to eight gallons of wator, and, on applying our tost for daguerreotype 
uses, found the water sufficiently pure for all practical purposes; and to finish 
a daguerreotype on silver plate, we must have pure water, especially for remov- 
ing the gilding solution, which is tho last washing. Tho test (well known to 
every chemist and druggist in the country) is a few grains of nitrate of silver in 
a small quantity of water, and if pure no change is perceptible, but if impure the 
water will change color or turn milky. Let the wator settle without the aid of 
alum, and the nitrate of silver will change the color to a milky appearance on 
account of the lime in the water, but with the alum in proper quantity, no 
perceptible change takes place — a proof that tho water is pure, or as nearly so 
aa water can bo when exposed to the atmosphere. We now use it for chemical 
purposes where we once thought distilled water indispensable. 

" It is a well-known fact that all or nearly all of tho spring and woll water in 
the West will taint by standing twenty-four hour in a bucket or pitcher, while 
the Mississippi water will get warm, but remain sweet to tho taste for days and 
months, in a clean vessel." 

The most recent analysis of our river water is that mado by Dr. Theodore 
Fa}-, chemist of tho Board of Water Commissioners, which is given in tho 
following form, exhibiting the comparative quality of tho water obtained from 
the old and new reservoirs : 

Water drawn from Hydrant (Otd Supply). 

Solid matter separated by filter 232 grains per gallon. 

Hardness 7.05 

Oxydizable organic matter 504 grains per gallon. 

Carbonate of lime 5. GO " " " 

Settled Water dravm from Hydrant {New Supply). 

Hardness S.75 

Oxydizable organic matter « 784 grains per gallon. 

Carbonate of lime 7.17 " " " 

Animalcula in considerable number. 



190 



APPENDIX. 



Dr. Fay, in connection with the above, makes the following explanation : 
" The above statement in regard to the difference in organic matter and 
hardness is hardly a fair test, on account of the excess of time that the water 
remained exposed to the sun, and solution of a portion of the lime used in the 
construction of the reservoirs and culverts, in which many thousands of bushels 
have been used. It is my opinion that we will have as good water from the 
Mississippi as any in the United States when the clay and sand are removed." 
In view of these considerations, and others which they suggest, the question 
of the water supply for St. Louis is finally and satisfactorily settled. In this, 
as in other essential elements, Nature has prophetically provided for the great 
destiny of our city. 

HEALTHFULNESS OF ST. LOUIS. 

The statistics recently presented in the able report of Dr. Wm. L. Barrett, 
Health Officer, fully demonstrate the healthfulness of St. Louis as a place of 
residence. The following official table shows conclusively that the death-rate 
here is below that of any of the important cities of the country. 



PRINCIPAL CITIES. 



New York 

Philadelphia.. 

St. Louis 

Chicago 

Baltimore 

Boston 

New Orleans... 
San Francisco 



Population, 

United States Census, 

1370. 




927,436 
657,179 
312,963 
299,370 
267.599 
253, 9S4 
1S4,6SS 
150,361 



27,175 
16,750 
6,670 
7,342 
7,262 
6,090 
6,942 
3,351 



Ratio of Deaths 

per 1000 
of Population. 



29.3 
25.5 
21.3 
24.5 
27.1 
24.0 
37.6 
22.3 



The following official tables also contain some interesting statistics respecting 
population and mortality, &c. 

Table showing the Population, Mortality and per cenlage of same by Wards; the Area, 
Sewerage and Population according to the number of Apres in each Ward. 





NUMBER OF DEATHS DURING 


"3 

o 


© 

"3 

"3 
g, 

o 


Si 

a u 
c 


00 

S 

o 

< 
a 

(S 
h 
< 


u 
o 

g „ 

-.2 P 

11.2 

S3< 

^ a 

o 


NO. Ob 


Acres. 




►a 


u 

3 

u 


o 

3 


— 
< 




a 

a 
a 




i 

a 

< 


u 
s 

£ 

H. 

V 

CO 


C 

o 


> 


u 

t> 

s 

0) 

o 
1) 

- 


-a 

V 

d 

'5 

u 

a 


ri 

u CI 
O 3 

u 
P 




,7i 


44 


11 


4li 


;u 


40 


86 


ill 


GO! 48 


37 


35 


540 


34,008 


1.58 


4,884 


1.58 


67 


4,817 




is 


52 


BO 


at 


31 


46 


67 


51 


58 51 


40 


41 


678 


12,155 


> 00 


950 


23.32 


133 


817 




(50 


37 


44 


89 


40 


50 


8<i 


46 


50 51 


4 -J 


4:; 


577 


24,17812.38 


580 


41.68 


179 


401 




43 


86 


88 


34 


2$) 


48 


60 


45 


4S 


54 


34 


47 


517 


38,873 1.32 


850 


45.73 


238 


012 


Fifth " 


40 


84 


Bfl 


85 


20 


89 


07 


4S 


50 


57 


44 


41 


528 


30, 074 1.75 


550 


54.08 


190 


354 


Sixth " 


4.1 


81 


86 


81 


81 


45 


61 


46 


45 


58 


83 


39 


494 


20,01312.40 


650 


32.81 


410 


240 




47 


11 


49 


86 


88 


48 


60 


58 


51 


51 


38 


47 


562 


18,001 3. 


480 


38 85 


313 


107 


Hghth " 


1- 


42 


85 


30 


4 J 


54 


61 


07 


53 


52 40 


41 


581 


20,910 2.10 


210 


132.90 


200 


10 


Ninth " 


53 


46 


53 


4S 


M 


84 


67 


75 


55 


53 


89 


89 


648 


23,822 2.41 


420 


53.14 


105 


255 


Tenth " 


49 i 40 


4'.' 


47 


48 


03 


82 


04 


58 


45 


48 


85 


641 


20,923 8.06 


270 


77.49 


153 


117 




41 36 


35 


38 


84 


4!) 


65 


47 


41 


4S 


32 


41 


531 


82,786 1.61 


1,000 


32.78 


159 


841 


Twelfth " 


io 29 80 


456 


27 
129 


41 
501 


68 

SlS 


48 
646 


:;> 


51 


37 


43 


473 


20,0-21 3.86 


1,400 


13.80 


54 


1,396 


Total 


517 


177 


188 


610 


615 404 


191 


6,670 


312,96312.12 


12, -294 


48.27 


2,207 


10,0-27 



AFPENDIX. 



191 



Table of Population, Increase, Mortality, &c, in the City of St. Louis, from 

1S47 to 1870 inclusive. 



a 

o 

Is 

YEAH. 3 

a. 
£ 


8.3 
gs 


o 


.jj 


REMARKS. 


1847... 


47,974 

63,471 

74,43S 

84,116 

95,542 

121,813 

126,266 

135,355 

143,800 

153,800 

153, S00 

153,800 

157,182 

164,450 

178,690 

204,327 

216,477 

250,000 

284,967 

312,963 




8,423 
4,361 
3,766 
5,122 
3,602 
3,103 
4,104 
4,521 
5,945 
5,035 
5,866 
5,744 
6,720 
5,501 
9,405 
6,538 
5,193 
5,884 
6,670 


13.27 
5.99 
4.3S 
5.25 
2.14 
2.46 
3.03 
2.13 
3.86 
3.30 
3.16 
3.63 
4.08 
3.08 
4.63 
3.02 
2.07 
2.06 
2.12 




1849.. 
1851... 
1853... 
1855... 
1856... 
1857... 
1858... 
1859... 
1860... 
1861... 


15,494 

10,967 

9,678 

13,426 

24,271 

4,453 

9,089 

8,445 

10,000 


Year of the cholera. 
City limits extended. 

1861 and 1862 were years of the war, in which 


1S62... 




1863... 

1864... 
1S65... 
1S66... 
1867... 
1868... 
1869... 
1870... 


3,3S2 

7,274 
14,234 
25,637 
12,150 
33,523 
34,907 
27,996 


Year of cholera. 



It will be readily observed from the above that there is no uniformity in the 
ratios of increase of population and mortality. In fact, as the city has 
expanded in its material development its healthfullness has improved, of course 
largely arising from the elaboration of the sewerage system and the general 
improvement of the sanitary condition^ This fact suggests another more sig- 
nificant and of wider application to tho family of man. The growth of great 
cities does not doterioi*ate the health of a country, and the multiplication of 
population does not raise, but actually diminishes, the death-rate. A vast 
metropolis, with its countless houses and myriad people, is after all not a strong- 
hold of death; and although its inevitable visitations are more appalling because 
presented in aggregate form, they are really numerically less than if the same 
diseases were working their way through the same number of people living in 
a ruder and more dispersed fashion. The ratio of mortality among tho primi- 
tive Indian tribos was considerably greater than that which we find in later 
periods when tho increasing population began to eddy into towns and cities. 
In numbers there is strength and also better food, better shelter, and other 
elements of health. 



192 



APPENDIX. 



MERCHANTS AND COMMERCE OP ST. LOUIS, 



THE MERCHANTS. 

If the boy is father to the man, with equal propriety may the village be said 
to be the progenitor of the metropolitan city. The same energy of character 
in both, tho same elements of organization, are developed as prophecies of 
futuro eminence. These may not be apparent at the beginning, because the 
grand characteristics which are to distinguish either may not have found their 
appropriate field of appreciation and action in the mind of the people; the 
embryo, however, existed, and when greatness was achieved its parentage is 
traceable with all possible certainty. When Laclede selected the site now 
occupied by the Future Great City of the continent, it was because the locality 
was conducive to the leading design — the successful operations of the business 
of the early founders, the fur trade. Above and below it the rivers of the 
North, West and East, dobouched into the main stream of the Mississippi, on 
all of which was found tho wealth they sought, and opened a field of hardy and 
remunerative enterprise sufficiently broad to attract the attention of the boldest 
spirits. The idea was not conceived at that day that the rich soil penetrated 
by these rivers would teem, in half a century, with the richest products of 
agriculture, and that these inland waters would eventually bear upon their 
bosom a commerce of greater value and of more beneficial influences to 
humanity than the world had hithorto known; yet that pre-eminent object was 
then inaugurated by a determinate power which shapes destinies and appro- 
priates resources. The pirogue of the trapper was the pioneer of the steamer, 
and his indomitable will and courage the intuitive forces dostined to subdue 
the wilderness and open up this magnificent domain to civilization and the 
beauties and comforts of progressive art. Looking forward at that timo, not 
one of those early voyageurs or projectors, however intuitive, could discover 
the fix*st intimation of the ultimate result of his labors ; looking back, tkero is 
not an individual but can read plainly and legibly the connection existing 
between tho design and the consummation, the commencement and the reali- 
zation. The village founded by trappers has grown into a city erected by mer- 
chants and artisans ; the broad expanse of plain, varied by valley and hill, has 
yielded to the plowshare and exchanged its savage aspect for the economic 
glories of harvest fields and happy homes. 

At the time, however, when the Mississippi Valley attracted the attention of 
Spanish and French adventurers, and subsequent!}' of American citizens — for 
three nationalities have claimed the magnificent country — the growth of cities 
was the woi'k of centuries, emigration was on a small scale, transportation was 
of tho most primitive order, science had developed little of mechanical skill 
and power to overcomo distances and impediments. The ocean had not been 
crossed by steamships, while river navigation dependod ontirely on simple 
muscle. In the energy and brightness of the boy the futui'e man might be 
discerned, because individual achievements had their precedents thickly scat- 
tered throughout the history of the raco, while the formation of communities 



APPENDIX. 193 

had resulted from the aggregations of ages rather than from the advantages of 
location or the wealth of soil and mineral resources. In a thousand years, 
therefore, tho daring flight of a poetic fancy might reckon on tho march of 
Empire towards the West and class it as the last act in the world's drama; but 
that in a century such a scene should be presented was beyond the human 
intellect to conjecture or entertain. It may be doubted if Laclede ever 
dreamed of a commerce beyond the commodities of furs and skins, of a settle- 
ment greater than that which offers protection by rude stockades against a 
savage enemy, and comforts superior to tho most limited demands of humanity. 
The elements on every hand of progress and greatness, as we see and appropri- 
ate them, were so many obstacles to the development of such a result — a seal 
on the future of a more opaque and impenetrable character to hide the suppo- 
sition from the reason or imagination. Rapid streams, dense forests, extended 
prairies, and the isolation of a vast interior forbade the idea of civilized indus- 
tries and the concentrated influences of settlements to resist the treachery and 
combined power of the murderous Indian. His policy was to preserve the 
hunting-grounds in their primeval wildness, for which these grand provisions 
of nature seemed peculiarly adapted. Indeed, we need not go back to that time 
and to the trappers' villago to gather up the notions of tho geologists, the 
statesmen and the merchants of that period, as they cogitated along the banks 
of the Mississippi or polled and cordelled upon the Missouri and Illinois; for 
not longer ago than yesterday the enlightened men of tho present supposed 
the broad belt of land between our State line and the Rocky Mountains to bo 
a desert, incapable of cultivation, and closed out by drought and inhospitable 
barrenness from the inroads of civilization. On our western border, however, 
the work of settlement goes on with continuous improvement from year to 
year, until for a thousand miles beyond the Missouri line the Great American 
Desert is dotted with thriving villages, and even cities, and begins to blossom 
like the rose. The remotest rainl-ine is already passed, and the successful 
experiment of cultivation even without irrigation has already been made and 
found to be practicable. It is in these constant developments of new resources 
that we find the strength which steadily builds up, and must continue to 
enlarge, this metropolitan city. 

There were in the nature of tho service to be performed by the early pio- 
neers characteristics of moral power which have had much to do in shaping 
and directing the destiny of St. Louis. The men who sought this wide and 
wild theater for their exploits were of no ordinary mould. They were self- 
reliant and determined. Danger was their constant companion and steadiness 
of purpose their cardinal virtue. Of all who turned their backs on the safety 
and comforts of home, of whatever nationality, and set their faces hitherward 
to brave the perils and share tho labors of a constantly exposed frontier life, 
each was a well-defined individuality. None other crossed tho Mississippi at 
that day and ventured into the terra incognita which lay beyond, guarded as it 
was b3' real dangers and by the more terrible apprehensions which spring from 
exaggerated legends and imaginary horrors. Their dependence was upon 
themselves; their safety rested alone within tho citadel of their own indomita- 



194 APPENDIX. 

ble will and determined action. Individuality of character begets responsibili- 
ties in almost all cases of intrinsic worth. A prominent man cannot afford to 
be indifferent to his obligations, public or private. His promises and pledges 
must be met promptly, else his standing becomes a mark for peculiar derision 
and defamation. This ingredient in the character of the early settlers of the 
Great Valley has exercised ever since a high-toned influence not only in admin- 
istrative duties which belong to all departments of duty, but in the trade rela- 
tions which have been established throughout the country. The subject of the 
boyhood of this community was introduced for the purpose of adverting to 
these moral agencies, showing that the implantations of independent thought 
and action, of energy and integrity early made, have taken deep root and have 
distinguished and continue to distinguish our commercial men to the present 
time. They began with no fanciful schemes of suddenly acquired fortunes, but 
adopted the plain and solid basis of hard work and fair equivalents. Wild 
speculations were not indulged, and it may be doubted if such vagaries found a 
lodgment in their brain. Buy and pay promptly was the secret of success, the 
motto of business. This slow and sure policyseems to have been adopted — too 
slow, it may be said, and probably was; for even now, with all the evidences of 
a brilliant future, the brakes are applied to the wheels of progress with singular 
and provoking obstinacy. Never was development allowed a safer process. 
No scheme of early aggrandizement was adopted, but the pioneers simply 
depended upon natural means to acquire competence without resorting to any 
of those excitements in which speculation finds its main agencies. 

Capital was considered the basis of success, and a character was established 
by our traders which has clung to their successors with remarkably good 
effects. The boy was father to the man in his patient industry, his indomitable 
independence, his self-relianco and individuality, and his freodom from experi- 
ments of doubtful propriety, in which recklessness forms generally a too large 
ingredient. Then the material of the community was composed of men of 
enterprise, who were able to brave dangers, were fond of adventure, and not 
easily deterred by arduous labors and personal sacrifices. Each prominent 
individual had the reputation of the settlement to bear, and each was willing 
to take the responsibility of that reputation, though it involved his pecuniary 
means or his life. How well these characteristics were exemplified in subse- 
quent times, when St. Louis began to assume the position of a commercial 
point, is one of the proudest portions of its history. The financial convulsions 
of the country were felt hero with the same violence with which they shook 
the established centers of business in the East, but they were met by resist- 
ances of personal effort and forbearance, of local pride and magnanimit} 7 , of 
determined purpose and self-sacrifice — the offspring of those qualities which 
had triumphed over physical dangers and overcome the discomforts of the 
wilderness, which were not found elsewhere. Men stood in the doors of our 
banking institutions; and by a pledge of their private fortunes subdued the 
evil spirits of alarm and doubt. They threw themselves in the breach and 
re-established confidence. The honor of the city rested upon their prompt, 
decided action, and thej* wore quick to respond. A remarkable instance of 



APPENDIX. 195 

this kind occurred in the financial disturbance of 1855,when the entire country 
was shaken by a crisis that involved both the pecuniary and political interests 
of the nation. It was a pressure upon our civic institutions which tried 
beyond precedent at that day the principles of self-government, and tested the 
powers of popular domination. When other communities went under, hope- 
lessly wrecked by the storm of disaffection and partisan fury, the people of 
Missouri, directed by calm, decisive leaders, who had won their positions 
through the practical school of imminent danger and personal adaptations, re- 
established order and preserved the honor of the commonwealth. Credit and 
patriotism were boldly asserted, and the victory honorably achieved. Capital 
began to look to the west bank of the Mississippi for the citadel of integrity, 
and hero that proud distinction has been found, in a score of conflicts that have 
imperiled commercial credit since, as it had on less memorable occasions 
imperiled it before. The honors won by the metropolis of the Adriatic wore 
repeated hero — the one tho refined center of Eastern commerce, the other the 
rude beginnings of a capital destined to bo erected in tho wilds of tho Western 
Empire. St. Louis was unknown when 

4 'Venice sate in state throned on her hundred isles, ' ' 

but the same inviolate honor in trade relations which embellishes the history of 
the old regime of business obligations and extended transactions, still works 
its influence in the successful achievement of metropolitan greatness. Look- 
ing back through those periods of financial struggles, there are comparatively 
few of our merchants who took advantage of the stress of circumstances to 
avoid calamity, benefit their position, or yield to inglorious imbecility or defeat. 
They met tho liabilities of the day with open frankness, and, generally free 
from the encumbrances of unreasonable liabilities and speculative investments, 
were able with renewed industry to start afresh in the race of enterprise. 

Large business centers have been started since the early trappers settled this 
site as the rendezvous of their operations, and every inch of ground has been 
contested for commercial supremacy by them. For a Avhile, aided by outside 
capital and the appliances of modern influences, the contest has seemed doubtful, 
and artificial stimulants have threatened to triumph over natural advantages. 
Tho very strength of this locality has seemed but to assist in its prostration. 
Situated between the agricultural interests of the North and South, its trade 
was tho exchange of the commodities of both, and it soon became the battle- 
field for tho extension or contraction of an institution which finally shook the 
very foundations of the Republic. Its grand position invited the contest, and 
all the forces of anti-slavery influences were pointed in this direction. National 
means wore employed, corporate powers invoked, individual and combined 
efforts brought into requisition to crush or render nugatory the inherent 
strength of this business emporium. Our rivers were to be superseded by rail- 
roads, and our plain old style of honest dealing laughed out of countenance by 
a mode of glittering operations which had no basis but that of fancy, and no 
powers but those of excitement. Tho conflict broke at last in actual war, and 
during its prolonged existence, with the guns of both parties directed against 
us, our trade languished, and those points which presented no strategic advan- 



196 APPENDIX. 

tagesand were really without the circle of business and political consideration, 
were vastly benefited. St. Louis must lose the supremacy of her position, 
even though it requires millions to overcome her natural advantages, was the 
language and determination of the party who looked upon slavery as a morally 
abhorred s}*stem and political monstrosity. Self-reliant, the descendants of the 
fur traders had sought no outside influences, and, secure in their position, they 
awaited the results with calm indifference; still developing her energies by 
those alow processes which wait upon positive demands her citizens fol- 
lowed the plain requirements of the day. When the army of occupation began 
to penetrate the far "West, and improvements became necessary to retain the 
business relations established in the East, and South, and North, our people 
were ready for action and entered upon the duty with proper zeal and activity. 

It is one of the characteristics of true merit that it is reliable and distin- 
guished under all circumstances. If slavery was supposed to be peculiarly 
adapted to the staple articles of agriculture and the mining wealth of the Stato, 
it has been found since its abrogation that universal emancipation has far stron- 
ger ingredients in its nature to enrich materially her condition, and draw 
hither the wealth of population, of labor and of capital. From that gigantic civil 
revolution which tore asunder the bands which supported our industries — the 
foundations on which was erected the superstructure of our local forces — the 
State has become doubly powerful arid prosperous ; she has thrown herself at 
one bound within the influences of a sympathy which pervades an advanced civ- 
ilization the world over, and gives to this internal region those moral corre- 
spondent qualities so necessary to the true development of physical resources. 
Our population, therefore, mingles in its veins the blood of all nations — blood 
which possesses the fire of adventure, the stamina of enterprise, the daring 
necessary to achieve personal independence. 

An allusion to an incident in the history of the city may be permitted which 
illustrates the texture of those moral elements of character derived from the 
crude looms of the early settlers of the trappers' village. In 1849 St. Louis 
was visited with the triple furies of fire, blood and pestilence. The best por- 
tion of her business locations were reduced to ashes ; five thousand of her people 
died with a disease that bid defiance to medical skill ; hor rivers rose and flooded 
her productive bottom-lands. Euin stalked through her streets and pervaded 
the country tributary to her commercial support. At this trying moment, with 
that self-reliant and indomitable will which carried her founders safely through 
the ordeals to which they were exposed, she met the responsibilities of the trial 
with an independent spirit, a prowess of resistances and recuperativo energies 
of the highest type. Honorable as it is to our nature that sympathy finds a 
lodgment not alone in individual bosoms, but in communities and nations, our 
citizens asked no aid from this benevolent feeling to meet the exigencies of the 
hour. Not a dollar was asked or received from contiguous or distant cities. 
The bravery and self-reliant characteristics of the trapper shone out in the 
artisan, merchant and professional man of the present, and an immediate effort 
was put in requisition to redeem losses and repair devastations. Such an exhibi- 
tion of unconquerable will, of inherent strength, is surely a forcible prognostic, 
a grand prophecy of the ultimate destiny of our beloved metropolis. 



APPENDIX. 197 

THE COMMERCE. 

We have glanced in the aggregate at the characteristics of the merchants of 
St. Louis which have so constantly imparted a vigorous vitality and rapidity 
to her commercial growth, and it will be appropriate to turn from such a sub- 
ject to the existing commorco of the city. In the historical review, to be found 
in preceding pages, a gonoral idea has been given of the rise and progress of 
the trade of St. Louis during the earlier years, when a thriving river town but 
faintly foreshadowed the magnificent metropolis of the future. We have looked 
upon it in its infancy, and now present some facts and figures which illustrate 
its extent and character in the present and indicate the vaster proportions to 
be attained in the future. In presenting facts and figures respecting the trade, 
manufactures, etc., of St. Louis, we are necessarily compelled to do so in the 
most compact form, and to leave to the reader the thoughts and comparisons 
naturally suggested by the statistical statements made. It is not our purpose 
to review in detail each branch of business, but to group only the more impor- 
tant, from which the aggregate may be fairly inferred. 

MANUFACTURES OF ST. LOUIS. 

The industrial interests of St. Louis have received a grand impulse during 

the past year, and the general result shows a largo increase over any preceding 

year. The following statement will show the advancement of St. Louis as a 

manufacturing city during the last ten years : 

Capital invested in manufactures in 1860 $12,733,948 

" *• '« in 1870 43,387,150 

Making a clear gain of 284 per cent, in ten years, or 24 4-10 per cent, per annum. 

The value of raw material used in 1SG0 was $10,212,699 

" in 1870 was 03,427,509 

Making a gain of 209 per cent, in ten years, or 20 9-10 per cent, per annum. 

The value of products in 1860 was 27,610,070 

" " in 1870 was 109,513,950 

A gain of 293 per cent, in ten years, or 29 6-10 per cent, per annum. 

The following shows the extent of investments and operations in reference 
to some of the more important articles : 



Capital invested in manufacture of 

pig-iron $4,398,165 

Value of material used 2,266,815 

Value of product 3, ISO, 815 

Capital invested in foundries 2,593,S50 

Value of material 2,676,991 

Value of product 4,605,887 

Capital invested in manufacture of 

agricultural implements 660,000 

Value of materials used 295,000 

Value of product 745,000 

Capita! invested in Hour mills 6,40S,600 

Value of material used 8,230,600 

Value of product 11,224,441 

Capita] invested in planing mills, 

and sash and door factories 2,454,750 

Value of material used 2,854,158 

Value of product 4,759,790 

Capital invested in breweries 2,198,708 

Value of material 1,750,931 

Value of product 3,557,583 



Capital invested In pork and beef 

packing $3,032,800 

Value of material 5,419,432 

Value of product 7,929,700 

Capital invested in manufacture of 

tobacco 1,520,900 

Value of material 1,074,008 

Value of product 8,094,083 

Capital invested in manufacture of 

steam machinery 1,871,400 

Value of material 590,070 

Value of product 1,509,112 

Capital invested in manufacture of 

white lead, oils and paints 975,000 

Value of material 901,662 

Value of product 1,033,500 

Capital invested in manufacture of 

sugar 1,000,000 

Value of material 3,430,000 

Value of product 3,678,250 



198 



APPENDIX. 



BANKS AND BANKING. 

There are forty-eight incorporated banks and private banking houses in St. 
Louis, with an aggregate working capital of about eighteen millions. On the 
15th of October last each of the forty-eight made a statement to the managers 
of the Clearing House, which showed the following aggregates : 

Paid-up capital stock $12,307,147 00 

Surplus and undivided profits 5,490,5S5 00 

$17,797,732 00 

It is fair to presume that since that date the amount has increased to eighteen 
millions. The aggregate of deposits at same date was thirty-two millions, and 
loans and discounts thirty-nine millions. 

Two had capital and surplus exceeding $3,000,000 

Five " " 1,000,000 

Five " " 500,000 

Eicrht " " 250,000 

Twelve" " 100,000 

Sixteen " less than 100,000 

The operations of the banks through the Clearing House are given below ; 
and indicate not only the increase in the banking business of the city, but 
also all other kinds of business, as the banks are only a part of the moans by 
which other kinds of business are done. This statement shows the monthly 
clearings, comparatively, for the years 1869, 1870, 1871 : 



MOUTHS. 



January 

February 

March. 

April 

May 

June 

July! 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 

Totals 

Monthly average. 



$57,688,226 36 
46,064,787 12 
52,407,642 54 
51,373,701 20 
53,787,979 92 
53,353,781 62 
50,935,806 04 
50,540,733 14 
60,608,439 94 
56,447,015 18 
61,415,146 20 
68,966,034 26 



$653,589,293 52 



$54,465,774 46 



1 8 70. 



$59,233,322 62 
63,2S1,286 50 
62,040,575 IS 

65.716.992 00 
73,618,227 16 

68.248.274 80 
69,083,2S2 28 

64.381.275 20 

59.975.993 S4 
65,766,001 62 
64,504,192 86 
75,105,121 08 



$780,954,545 14 



55,079,545 43 



18 7 1. 



$75,010,077 56 
59,424,324 18 
71,264,501 90 
69,93S,400 72 
73,427,624 74 
71,791,607 72 



1,933,105 83 



FLOUR AND GRAIN. 

One of the natural results of the situation of our city as the center of a fer- 
tile and extensive wheat region has been the rapid development of the flour 
trade, and in this branch of domestic manufacture she is already famous, we 
might say, on both sides of the Atlantic, while the receipts of grain are also 
steadily on the increase. During the past year the manufacture of flour has 
increased from 1,068,592 barrels in 1869 to 1,251,773 barrels in 1870. The fol- 



APPENDIX. 



199 



lowing exhibit furnishes a condensed view of the operations of our millers 
during the past four }"ears : 





1 870. 


18 6 9. 


i a e 8. 


18 67. 




1,491,020 bbls. 
1,351,773 " 

407,561 " 


1,310,55b bbls. 
1,068,592 " 

297,860 " 


805,830 bbls. 
859,154 " 

245,822 " 


944,075 bbls. 
765,298 " 

180,370 " 


Manufactured 


Sold and shipped direct 


Total 


3,250,900 bbls. 


2,077,007 bbls. 


1,910,812 bbls. 


1,889,743 bbls. 





The total receipts and exports for six years ending 1870 were as follows 
TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR SIX YEARS. 



AUTICLES. 


1870. 


1809. 


1808. 


1807. 


1866. 


1865. 




7,458,130 
6,638,263 

4,708,838 

4,519,510 

210,542 

778,518 


6,552,775 

6,730,454 

2,395,713 

3,401,844 

260,056 

757,000 


4, 029, ISO 
4, 353,. V. 11 
2,800,277 
3,259,132 
367,901 
634,590 


4,720,375 
3,571,593 
5,155, (so 
3,455,388 
250,704 
705,215 


6,043,630 
4,410,305 
7,233,071 
3,467,253 
375,417 
548,796 


5,805,190 
2,452, 722 
3,162,313 

4,173, 229 
217,568 
846,230 


Wheat 

Corn 

liye 


Total bushels 


24,313,791 


20,170,412 


15.444,731 


17,848,755 


22,079,072 


17,657,252 



TOTAL EXPORTS FOR SIX YEARS. 



ARTICLES. 



1870 



1869. 



186S. 



1867. 



1800. 



1SG5. 



Flour (reduced to wheat) . 

Wheat 

Corn 

Oats 

Bye 

Uarley, 



13,453,095 

034,502 

3,636,060 

3,144,744 
100,254 
70,451 



10,803,805 
1,715,005 
1,298,863 

2,103,002 
110,447 
57,134 



7,496,685 

543,234 

1,611,618 

1,952,579 

192,555 

64,426 



7,252,375 

321,888 

4,318,937 

2,244,756 

56,076 

55,720 



8,503,700 

635,817 

6,757,199 

2,624,044 

225, 158 

89,751 



7,007,325 

02,860 

2,591,558 

3,083,864 

31,445 
50,000 



Total bushels 21,039,7663 16,148,756 11,860,097 14,249,752 18,S35,969 13,427,052 



The direction of the trade is thus indicated: Total shipments southward 
during the year 1870, 1,713,913 barrels. Total shipments eastward, 933,591 
barrels. Total shipments to other points, 43,235. Total shipments during the 
year, 2,690,730 barrels. 

There is every reason to be satisfied with the condition of the grain trade of 
St. Louis, while there are the most encouraging prospects for the future. 

PROVISIONS. 

The following figures show the growth as well as indicate the present status 
of the packing business in this city : 

HOGS PACKED AT ST. LOUIS FOR NINE SEASONS. 



1869-70. 1868-69. 1867-68. 1S06-07. 1865-66. 1864-65. 1863-64. 1862-03. 1S61-G2 



No. Uogs 241,316 231,937 237,160 183,513 

Average netw't 190 50-100 189 27-100 193 91-100 222 34-100 



123,335 191,890 
208 91-100, 178 50-100 



244,600 

179 



178,750 
207 



84,093 
!24 50-100 



200 



APPENDIX. 



This department of business is one very much dependent on facilities for 
handling and the means of easy communication with the States and sections of 
country producing the stock. A few years must necessarily make St. Louis 
the first packing point in the West, as she possesses all the material advantages 
requisite to secure that position. 

PACKING AT THE FIVE PRINCIPAL WESTERN CITIES. 



St. Louis J«n. 21, 1871.... 204, 609 

Chicago " " 649,036 

Cincinnati " " 415,436 

Louisville " " 243,941 

Milwaukee " " 163,000 



Total 1,730,112 



Jan. 


21, 1870. 


.221,222 
451,037 
318,160 

l.-(l,4 tit 
130,000 


Whole Season, 




685,969 

337,330 
180,419 
172,626 



1,304,408 



1,017,090 



LIVE STOCK. 

The development of our Western system of railroads has greatly expanded 
our stock market, and the proportions it must assume in the future, with the 
completion of the bridge, the opening of other railroad lines, and of the agri- 
cultural wealth of the rich and boundless country to the west of us, must be 
enormous. The receipts and exports for the year and other figures of interest 
and importance will be found in the following tables : 

RECEIPTS AND SHIPMENTS OF CATTLE, SHEEP AND HOGS FOR SIX YEARS 





Receipts. 




SlIirMENTS. 


YEAlt. 


Cattle. 


Sheep. 


Hogs. 


Cattle. 


Sheep. ' Dogs. 




201,422 
124,565 
115,852 

74,146 
103,269 

94,307 


91,477 
96,626 
79,315 

02,974 
64,047 
52,133 


310,850 
344,848 
301,569 
29*,241 

217,622 
99,663 


129,748 
59,867 

37,277 
26,799 
24, 162 

4r,,712 


11,649 i 17,156 
12,416 1 39,076 

6,415 ! 16,277 
19,022 28,027 
15,194 13,358 

8,080 17, 669 



EXPORTS FOR THE YEAR. 



ROUTES. 



1 '. v River 

St". Louis, Alton and Chicago Railroad 

Indianapolis and St. Louis Railroad 

St. Louis, Vandaliaand I'erre Haute Railroad. 

( >hio and Mississippi Railroad 

Toledo, Wabash and Western Railroad 

Other Routes 

Total Exports 



Cattle. 



129,718 



Sheep. 



5,005 


7,322 




735 


40,653 


2,030 


11,564 


535 


22,220 


39 


1,930 




3,386 


388 



11,649 



Hogs. 



4,466 

3,152 

! 055 
1,692 

2,987 

509 
295 



17,156 



APPENDIX. 



201 



GROCERIES. 

The following table gives a general glance at this important department of 
trade : 

Receipts and Exports of Molasses, Coffee and Rice. 





MOLASSES. 


COFFEE. 


RICE. 


YICARS. 


RECEIPTS. 


EXl'OItTS. 


RKCP'S KXP'TS 


KKCEIPTS. 


exp'ts. 




Bbls. 


M cols. 


Kegs. 


Hits. 


Bbls. |h Bbls iKegs 


lids. 


Bags. Bags. 


Ska. 


Bbls. 


sks. 


Total 1870 

Ttoal 1803 

Total 1808 

Total 1807 

Total 1866 

Total 1805 


13,819 

20,408 
15,377 
8,505 
6,100 
10,098 


093 
1,994 
2,382 

473 
1,033 

998 


5,231 
5,(153 

4,189 
996 
701 

1,401 


6 
612 

450 

' ' 53i 


21,754 12,27521,361 
21,040 9,63420,365 
15,338 9,04717,596 
10,925 7,72S 14,763 
9,582 4 981 11,132 
9,379 2,13011,095 


7 
13 

t 


113,950 112,021 

135,191 107,855 
92,0'.)!) 91,615 
98,617 80,344 
90,367 65,985 
60,106 50,903 


2,298 
1,308 
4,284 
5,883 
4,977 
3,035 


5,150 
5,287 
3,730 
1,181 
Pkgs. 


10,971 
10,804 
9,781 
7,560 

5,:: U 



It is impossible to speak of the grocery trade of St. Louis without adverting 
particularly to the Belcher Sugar Befinery and establishment, which, in mag- 
nitude of operations and mercantile influence, is among the first of the kind 
in the country. The business which resulted in the establishment of the 
refinery was commenced in 1840, and by the persistent energy of Messrs. W. 
n. and Charles Belcher was steadily increased, and has now attained a colos- 
sal character reflecting credit upon our city. The buildings of the refinery 
cover nearly four squares. We have not space to enter into any detailed 
description of this establishment, but the extent of the business of the com- 
pany is fairly indicated by the following figures : 

Sales of refined sugar by Belcher's Sugar Bcfining Company in the home 
market : 



Years. *• Pounds. Years. Pounds. 

185G 13,700,000 1SG4 7,000,000 

1857 11,800,000 18G5 13,100,000 

185S 12,1)00,000 | 18(56 17,300.000 

1859 18.800,000 \ 1867 17,300,000 

I860 15,000,000 | 1868 18,300,000 

1861 9,500,000 1S60 22,400,000 

1862 7,400,000 j 1870 25,500,000 

1863 7,900,000 j 

The amount of duty paid to the government by the refinery is shown as 
follows : 



Years. Amounts. 

1865 $378,015 

1866 463,727 

1867 651,924 



Years. Amounts. 

1868 $637,371 

1869 75! 649 

1870 801,140 



The refined sugars and syrups made by this refinery find a salo hero and in 
tho leading towns and districts west of St. Louis. Formerly it sold many 
goods to Chicago and Milwaukee and the upper Mississippi towns, but that 
trade has all gone to New York and other Atlantic cities. The growth of 
St. Louis and the country west of it, however, compensates for this loss. 



202 APPENDIX. 

The following are the present directors and officers of the company: 

Directors — E. J. Lackland, D. A. January, James Smith, Carlos S. Greeley, 
Joseph C. Cahot, Geo. S. Drake, Chas. Belcher. 

Officers — Chas. Belcher, president ; Ed. Y. Ware, secretary. 

The grocery trade of St. Louis is fully representative of the best business 
enterprise and the soundest commercial principles. Our merchants import 
largely from all quarters, availing themselves of the fullest range of the trade. 

To illustrate the extent of the business, we may say that there are in this 
city seven firms doing a business of about §1,000,000 each annually, and two 
or three whose operations reach $1,750,000 each per annum. The wholesale 
trade of this j-ear will be fully twenty-five per cent, over that of last year. 
The total annual wholesale trade for the past year reached $27,600,000, and the 
retail sales about 69,000,000, making the grand total annual sales $36,000,000. 
The wholesale merchants are now importing more heavily than during any 
previous year, and the expansion of the business corresponds with that observ- 
able in the other departments of our commerce. 

DRY GOODS TRADE. 

The past j T ear was satisfactory in its results in reference to this most import- 
ant department of trade — more so, indeed, than any since the close of the 
year. It was characterized by a steady shrinkage in values ; but the business 
done, although accompanied by a reduction of profits, was conducted on sound 
principles, with no tendency to over-trading. While tho operations of the year 
afford unmistakable evidence of a general expansion in the trade, correspond- 
ing to the increase observable in every department of our city's commerce, it 
is indeed an undeniable fact that already our dry goods merchants sell to a 
larger territory than any other city in tho United States. Previous to the war 
the dry goods business ranged from $10,000,000 to $12,000,000, whilo now it 
aggregates $38,000,000. The aggregate wholesales of dry goods and fancy goods 
reaches $29,000,000, retail sales about $9,000,000. The retail sales of two of 
our houses reach over $1,000,000 each, annually, and four (including the two) 
about $500,000 each. Tho wholesale trade, heretofore confined to Main street, 
now indicates a decided movement toward Washington avenue and Fifth 
street, and tho four magnificent stores now all but completed on the latter 
thoroughfare, near St. Charles street, will bo occupied this Fall by Main street 
houses, whilo other buildings in the samo locality, for wholesale purposes, are 
in contemplation. The yearly increase in the dry goods trade of St. Louis can 
not be less than 30 per cent. 

HARDWARE. 

The hardware trade was largely increased in volume during 1869, and 
suffered no falling-off in 1870, whilo there are satisfactory evidences of a 
constant expansion. The value of production during the past year was nearly 
$2,500,000, and the amount invested in manufacture is about $1,000,000. The 
business of each of our more important houses shows a material increase over 



APPENDIX. 203 

that of the preceding year. The annual sales of seven wholesale firms are 
represented respectively by the following figures : 0600,000, $150,000, $234,000, 
§100,000, 8135,000, 8100,000, 8550,000. In a city destined to become famous 
in the working of metals the hardware trade must necessarily assume a 
proportionate magnitude and importance. 

LUMBER. 
The receipts of all kinds of lumber during the year 1870 were as follows : 

Feet. Feet. 

White Pine 199,509,000 Cypress 70,000 

Yellow Pine 30,350,000 Shingles 140,434,000 

Poplar 3,775,000 Lath 27,514,000 

Walnut 3,079,000 Pickets 1,210,000 

Oak 2,800,000 Logs 29,400,000 

Ash 457,000 

The total number of feet of all kinds of lumber and logs on hand in St. 
Louis, January 1, 1871, was 119,882,265. The sales in 1870 exceeded those 
of 1869, 53,110,000 feet of lumber, and the aggregate during the season is 
229,110,000, demonstrating an increase in the trade of 30 per cent. Alluding 
to the lumber resources of Missouri, Mr. Joseph Bogy, in a statement respecting 
the trade, published in the annual report of the Union Merchants' Exchange, 
speaks as follows: "This business in our State has not received the attention 
it deserves. The fine timber regions of the Gasconade, Washington, Madison, 
Iron, and other sections, have not been developed to any extent beyond their 
home demand and that of our own market. While a large business should be 
done, and capital attracted to these regions, we hope to see, by the extension of 
new railroads, which will soon penetrate those sections of our State where 
timber is abundant, these causes obviated. It is a well-known fact that the 
pine regions of tho North are fast giving out, and that we have reached that 
period where the demand for lumber is increasing and supply diminishing, and, 
sooner or later, tho yellow pine must take its place as a substitute for most of 
the white pine now used. 

The following figures show tho receipts and shipments of lumber, logs, 
shingles, etc., during tho months named of the present year: 

RECEIPTS. 

January— White Pine 544,000 

Shingles 3,158,000 

Yellow Pine Flooring, 335,000; Dimension, 77,000 412,000 

Poplar, 150,000; Oak, 200,000; Walnut, 145,000 495,000 

Red Cedar, 10S,000; Ash, 12,000; Hickory, 9,000 129,000 

February— White Pine 2,010,000 

Shingles 4,005,000 

Yellow Pine Flooring and Dimension 641,000 

Poplar, 358,000; Oak, 293,000; Walnut, 337,000 98S.000 

Cedar, 1S5, 000; Ash, 20,000; Hickory, 16,000 221,000 

Sycamore, 10,000; Maple, 5,000 15,000 

Walnut Logs, 100,000; Oak Logs, 100,000 200,000 

March— White Pine 6,231,000 

Shingles 8,919,000 

Lath 3,930,000 

• Poplar, 704,000; Oak, 515,000; Walnut, 3S0,000 1,659,000 

Y r ellow Pine Flooring and Dimension 1,147,000 

Red Cedar, 784,000; Ash, 47,000 831.000 

Oak Logs. 210,000; Walnut Logs, 350,000; Ash Logs, 50.000 010,000 

All other kinds of Lumber 7,000 

Fence Posts 12,000 



204 



APPENDIX. 



April— White Pine 8,978,000 

Yellow Pine 1,573,000 

Shingles 9,558,000 

Lath. 1,601,000 

Pickets 20,000 

Oak, 272,750; Walnut, 2G9,G00; Poplar, 656,000, 1,198,350 

Ked Cedar, 165,000; Ash, 66,352 831,352 

Other Lumber 20,000 

Oak Logs, 389,000; Walnut Logs, 245,000; Cottonwood Logs, 217,000.... SSI, 000 

May— Total Logs and Lumber 42,667,300 

Shingles! 7,690,000 

Lath. 3,600,000 

June— Total Logs and Lumber 30,575,000 

Shingles 9.075,000 

Lath. 3,211,000 

Total Lumber and Logs received, in feet 101,640,402 

«' Shingles " 43,065,000 

» Lath " 12,342,000 

•« Fence Posts '■ 12,000 

The shipments were as follows : 

January— White Pine and other Lumber 3,163,000 

Shingles 3,270,000 

Lath?. 1,100,000 

February— White Pine and other Lumber 3,506,000 

Shingles 3,575,000 

Lath?. 1,620,000 

March— Pine and other Lumber 7,904,000 

Shingles 9,608,000 

Lath 5,250,000 

April— All kinds Lumber 5,892,000 

Shingles 10,016,000 

Lath 3,798,000 

May— Lumber of all kir.ds 9,134,000 

Shingles 12,265,000 

Lath 8,163,000 

June— Lumber of all kinds 10,661,000 

Shingles 11,808,006 

Lath 6,664,000 

TOBACCO. 

A general glance at the condition of the trade in this important article is 
appended in the following tables : 

Monthly Receipts of Hogsheads of Tobacco for Past Four Years. 






YEARS. 


Jan. 


Feb. 


March . 


April. 


May. 


June. 


July. 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


Total. 


1867 


35 
05 
123 

146 


82 
148 

:U!) 

391 


427 
857 
641 
625 


1,360 

1,449 

'.ill 

1,226 


1,719 
l, - 966 
1,426 

1,714 


3,342 
3.170 
2,642 

2,815 


3,712 
1,310 
1,307 
1,548 


3,599 
1,489 
1,181 
1,449 


2,734 
1,156 

717 
610 


887 
851 
423 
323 


437 
229 
220 
165 


250 
76 
194 

148 


18,584 


1868 


12,266 


1869 


10,128 


1870 


11,198 











1870 Boxes and packages Leaf Tobacco 1 ,257 

Monthly Exports of Hogsheads of Tobacco for Past Four Years. 



YEARS. 


Jan. 


P«b 


March. 


April- 


May. 


June. 


Juiy 


A 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec 


Total. 


1867 


90 
72 
153 

69 


182 

122 

99 

129 


626 
418 
288 

233 


636 
601 
088 

692 


983 
1,381 
1,005 

913 


2,648 
1,899 

1,765 
1,513 


3,183 

889 

1,130 

1,250 


2,469 

1,123 

858 

800 


2,512 

1,413 

1,197 

643 


1,656 

70* 
(137 
766 


1,080 
626 
238 

413 


309 
147 

210 

221 


16,273 




8,89(1 


1869 


8,214 


1870 


7,(142 







APPENDIX. 205 

Total sales at public auction, including reviews 7,2G1 hhds. 

Total rejections sold privately or shipped elsewhere 3,147 " 

10,408 hhds. 

Stock on hand January 1st, 1S70 403 hhds. 

Receipts during 1870 11 ,193 ' ' 

11,596 hhds. 

Exports during 1870, direct 1,593 hhds. 

" " " from warehouses 4,230 '* 

" " " to adjacent manufacturing establishments 1,819 " 

City consumption 3,153 " 

10,795 hhds. 

Stock on hand January 1st, 1871 801 hhds. 



WOOL, HIDES, PELTRIES AND FURS. 

The table appended gives a compact view of trade operations in the articles 
above named, during the year 1870 and the five years preceding : 





WOOL. 


IIIDE5. 


PELTRIES. 


FURS. 


YEAR. 


IlEC'PTS. 


exp'ts. 


RECEIPTS. 


EXPOUTS. 


uec'ts . 


KX'PTS. 


uec'ts. 


KXP'TS. 




Pkgs. 


Bales. 


Pes. 


Bundles. 


res. 


Bundles 


Bd s. 


Bills. 


Fkgs. 


Pkgs. 


1870 


13,486 
14,905 
17,756 

12,040 

9,205 

10,599 


17,882 

20,738 
18,530 

11,928 
8,557 
9,394 


120,739 
103,906 
150,245 
146,421 

160,470 
187,591 


37,425 

17,170 
16,362 
11,910 
6,981 
7,310 


55.S90 
66,173 
81,546 
85.291 
165,580 
267,119 


132,321 

81,04s 
47,083 
45,113 

22,181 


12,903 
11,584 
1I.27S 
10,278 


4.238 
4,279 
4,012 
3,807 




2,923 
4,051 
6,536 
6,093 


3,612 

1,897 
4,992 
2,820 


1869 


1867 


1SO0 
















Receipts of Eighwines for Fifteen Years. 



Year. 


Barrels. 


Year. 


Barrels. 


l 
Year. ! Barrels. 


1870 


61,754 
52,103 
23,419 
38,455 
58,157 


1865 


3S,014 
50,407 
54,862 
70.374 
72,790 


1860 i 102,356 


1869 


1S64 


1S59 | 100,092 

1S58 122.295 


1868 


1863 


1867 ;.... 


1862 


1857 125,547 




1861 


1856 95,821 



LEATHER MANUFACTURES. 

In this, as in various other manufacturing branches of this city, to fully 
delineate its character and magnitude it would be necessary to treat it far 
more in detail than is possible in this condensed commercial resume, and we 
can only present a few significant facts. From reliable statistics it appears 
that there is over $5,000,000 invested in the business, and that tho annual sales 
range between §15,000,000 and §20,000,000, including, of course, all branches 
of the business. Indeed, if we include saddlery and tho other departments 
which may correctly be comprised in the loathor trade, the capital invested 
will reach nearly §8,000,000. There is no market in tho United States where a 
greater variety and better articles are placed at tho disposal of buyers. 



206 



APPENDIX. 



COTTON. 

St. Louis is not .at present as active or extensive a cotton market as it should 
properly be, but the obstructions to the development of the trade are transi- 
tory in character and the prospects for the future are decidedly encouraging. 
The establishment of the proper means of compressing, increase of storage 
facilities, and the perfecting of the railroad system south into the cotton-pro- 
ducing territory removed from river transportation, will unquestionably expand 
operations at this point. The cotton consumed by our manufacturers during 
the past year was : 

By St. Louis Cotton Factory 3,300 bales. 

By Brown, Marriott & Co 900 tl 

By Wm. B. Edgar 200 " 

By Brooks Bolton 95 '< 

Total 4,495 bales. 

The amount of bagging manufactured during the year 1870 was 3,377,845 
yards. 

Receipts and Exports of Flax Tow for Two Years . 



RECEIPTS. 


EXPORTS. 


Articles. j 1S70. 


1869. 


Articles. 


1870. 


I860. 






1,035 


73 



Receipts and Exports of Rope and Cordage. 



-v — 


RECEIPTS. 






EXPORTS. 


Articles. 


1S70. 


I860. 


1868. 


Articles. 


1870. 


1869. 




93 

19.093 


50 
24.107 


626 
14,466 


Hope and Cordage, coils.. 


40,001 


41,471 



Receipts of Hemp and Tow for Twenty Years. 



Tear. 


Bales. 


Year. 


Bales. 


Year . 


Bales. 


Year. 


Bales. 


1870 


12,716 
21.408 
25,699 

30,750 
18,759 


1865 


40,846 
04,078 
56.337 
78.317 
35,508 


1860 .. 


68,673 
68,796 

81,423 

80, 094 
53,737 


1S55 


91 326 




1864 . . 


1859 

1858 


1854 

1853 


69,629 
62,692 


1868 


1863 


1807 






18S2 . 


48,819 
65 471 


1866 






1S51... 













MANUFACTURE OF COTTON AND WOOLEN GOODS. 

A few facts in relation to the relative advantages of St. Louis for tho 
manufacture of staplo cotton and woolen goods will bo of interest. It is situ- 
ated in the center of the great and inexhaustible coal region of tho West, and 



APPENDIX. 2C7 

our proximity to the cotton and woolen belt, and the cheap transit of the Mis- 
sissippi river and railways, insures an average price of two cents per pound 
Jess for middling cotton than at Now York or Boston, thus enabling the manu- 
facturer to produce his goods in St. Louis at loss than the Eastern mills can 
produce them, and at an additional saving of a half cent per yard for the 
transportation of the manufactured product. Through the rare productiveness 
of our soil, we can prosperously support a larger population to the square mile 
than any other country in the world. Our destiny, thorefore, is a matter of 
fact, and not a question of argument. Wo are to bo the center of a manufac- 
turing district in textile fabrics, which is to supply the wants of the Mississippi 
Valley, the Southwest, the Northwest and tho Pacific Slope. 

In the manufacture of staple goods, where the raw material and fuel are the 
leading items in the cost, a very small difference in tho cost of production 
turns tho scale for or against any locality — thus, if the raw material can bo 
converted into manufactured goods in one week at a profit of one per cent., it 
amounts to the enormous profit of fifty-two per cent, per annum. 

There are already established a large number of cotton mills in tho 
Mississippi Yalloy, and three-fourths of all the sheetings sold in this market 
during the last year have boen the production of these mills. The increase of 
woolen mills during the last fivo years, in tho section of which St. Louis is the 
commercial center, is beyond parallel in tbo history of this country. There 
have beon mistakes made in the excessive production of some kinds of goods, 
but the fact has boen proven that we have tho ability to produce such goods at 
less cost than Eastern mills. For the future tho wool will bo grown here and 
west of us, and can only reach the Atlantic seaboard under the heavy tax of 
double first-class freight for wool in the grease and dirt, equal to four or five 
cents per pound upon scoured wools. With these facts in view, it must be 
apparent that it is only a question of time when tho great manufacturing 
interest of the United States will bo in tho Mississippi Yalley, and St. Louis 
its center. 

MISSOURI WINES. 

Elsewhere wo have spokon of Missouri as a wine-producing State, and none, 
indeed, can question her extraordinary natural advantages in this respect. 
The wine and liquor trade in this city is one of increasing importanco, but the 
most interesting feature is the development in quantity and quality of the 
manufacture of our native wines. Tho following foroign testimony from a 
critical pen illustrates the growing opinion abroad as to Missouri wine. It 
is taken from tho London Globe of a comparatively rocent date, and of 
course alludes to tho product of tho American Wine Company, Isaac Cook, 
President : 

11 Whilo the vineyards of France are trodden down by tho Prussian invader, 
and those of tho Phineland are not so carefully tended as they would bo in 
days of peace, the United States aro largely oxtonding their vinticulture, and 
with remarkable success. To the fair sisterhood of vine-crowned rivers, which 
includes the Maine and Loire, the Moselle and Rhine, must now be added the 



208 APPENDIX. 

mightier streams of America, and especially the Missouri. "We have recently 
tasted a champagne from St. Louis, which soems to us unsurpassable in purity 
and flavor; and the flavor is entirely distinct from that of any European wine 
within our knowledge. Any gourmet who wants a new palatal sensation 
should try this wine, which possesses that exquisite freedom from heat and 
acidity which belongs only to the choicest continental vintages. It has the 
bouquet of vernal flowers, so that as you raise the glass to your lips you are 
reminded of the April woodlands, faintly fragrant with hidden violets. Long- 
fellow boasts concerning the Catawba wine that it is free from the intoxicating 
qualities of some European vintages, and this wine of Missouri is said to be of 
a still finer type. Probably this result is due to its being grown upon a virgin 
soil. The best vintages wear out in time. Ask an epicure coeval with the 
century if he ever tasted the Chateau Lafitte which he remembers in his youth. 
The constituents of the soil which gave the grape its high qualities, conferring 
purity and fragrance on the wine, are gradually exhausted ; and attempts to 
renew them artificially, or to give strength by the use of manure, end only in 
the production of a coarse liquor, unworthy of dedication to "Dionysius." 

IRON MANUFACTURE IN ST. LOUIS. 

The existing magnitude of the iron interests in this city and the great 
importance attaching to their further development in the future give a par- 
ticular attraction to an}- intelligent views and thoughts on the subject, and the 
following communication from Mr. John Magwire, an excellent authority, will 
be read with interest : 

L. U. Re avis, Esq. : 

Sir — You have requested me to give in writing my views concerning the manufactur- 
ing of articles at St. Louis, especially iron. In September, 1866, by request of several 
gentlemen connected with the St. Louis Agricultural and Mechanical Fair, I wrote an 
essay upon the advantages and adaptability of St. Louis as a manufacturing city of all 
articles manufactured in other cities of the United States. When the Liiulell Hotel was 
burned, the essay, which they had published in pamphlet form, was destioyed, except the 
few copies that had been distributed. The State Agricultural Society had the essay pub- 
lished in their report for that year, and you will find it commencing on page 122 of the 
Agricultural Report of the State of Missouri. That essay contains, as I believe, the facts 
sufficient to show the advantages at St. Louis for establishing manufactories of all fabrics 
needed by the people, and the advantages as a point for distributing without the interven- 
tion of commission merchants or middle-men. I do not think that I can add anything of 
importance to what you will find in that essay, except to advert to the results in making 
iron, so abundantly proved by the working of the furnaces that have gone iutooperation since 
1866. These results, however, are so well known now by all persons familiar with making 
iron that it is hardly necessary to write them in a book. Everybody now knows that, owing 
to the richness and fusibility of Missouri ores, furnaces using those ores and raw Illinois 
coal mixed with coke, yield from twenty-five to thirty per cent, more iron per day than 
furnaces of the same dimensions in any other locality of this country or in Europe, and 
that the quality of the iron is excellent; that enough good iron can be produced from 
Missouri ores and Illinois coal to supply the wants of the country ; and the fact is now also 
well known that good pig-iron can be produced in Missouri and Illinois at a cost of labor 
varying not far from that required in Wales (England^, which is the most favorable country 
of Europe for making iron. There are greater facilities for obtaining ore and coal in Wales 



APPENDIX. 209 

than any other country of Europe, but neither in Wales nor upon any other part of the 
earth's surface, so far as my information goes, are ore and coal so accessible as in Missouri 
and Illinois. It must be borne in mind that all manufacturing, especially iron, is produced 
by labor: and in the production of iron, until the discovery by Bessemer, the refining of iron 
from the pig into the bloom, or bringing it to "nature,' ' as the refiners term it, was the 
hardi ; t and most toilsome labor that man had ever been required to perform. This labor 
must be performed upon our pig-iron as now made in order to produce merchantable iron 
or rails, and. the cost of producing pig-iron is better determined by the quantity one man 
can make in a day than by tin; amount of dollars and cents or shillings and pence he is 
paid. It requires, in "Wales, the labor of one man for thirteen days to produce a ton of 
pig-iron, or thirteen men one day. In Missouri and Illinois the labor of one man eight 
day;., or eight men one day, can make a ton of pig-iron, which will make a rail that will 
last three times as long as the ordinary Welsh rail. In Wales the subsistence of the thir- 
teen men, their food and shelter, is equal to the labor of five men ; in the Mississippi 
Valley, subsisting eight men requires the labor of three men. Now here is the difference 
in cost of producing iron: eighteen men in Wales and eleven in Illinois and Missouri, and 
the Missouri rail will last three times as long as the common Welsh rail. Good rails are 
made in Wales, but at additional expense over the ordinary mode, which makes an inferior 
rail. Bad rails cannot be made of Missouri iron, if proper attention is given, in the ordi- 
nary mode. 

In the face of these facts our railroad companies are compelled to import rails from 
Wales. This raises a question which, when inquired into, puts a terrible responsibility 
upon our American statesmen. That the responsibility of depriving the American manu- 
facturer of the facilities to make all the rails needed in this country, must rest upon the 
conscience of our American statesmen, lam prepared to demonstrate unmistakably, the 
proof is at hand, but it would be out of place in your book. The working of the furnaces 
in Missouri and Illinois have proved that a sufficiency of iron can be produced, and 
although the iron is of a superior quality, now since steel can be made from the pig- 
iron by using the elements which nature has provided, and machinery that the genius 
of man has inveuted, doing away with the labor of puddling, and our Missouri ore 
is, wi h one other exception in the United States, the only ore adapted to making 
steel b) r the Bessemer or pneumatic process, our iron business will not be complete 
until that mode is fully put into operation here, and in place of the uncertain iron 
rail, steel rails can be furnished that will last seventeen times as long as iron rails. 
The Pennsylvania Central road is now, I am informed, re-laid with steel rails, and the 
pig-metal, or a portion of it, used at the mil's in this country to make rails for the Penn- 
sylvania road, was imported from England, where the ore is inferior to Missouri ore, and 
the coal no better, and not as accessible as Illinois coal. The explanation is this: steel 
cannot be successfully made by the Beseeraer or pneumatic process unless the pig-iron is 
free from sulphur or phosphorus; two per cent, of sulphur will not hurt, but one-tenth of 
one per cent, of phosphorus is fatal. Such metal could not be obtained in this country in 
sufficient quantity. None of the stone-coal iron would answer, and the quantity of char- 
coal pig is small and every day decreasing, and there is not much of it that will answer. 
But next to Bessemer's discovery, and one that will revolutionize the iron business, is the 
process of freeing mineral coal from sulphur and all other foreign substances, leaving pure 
carbon to go into the coke oven. The coke made from coal that has been freed from sul- 
phur.and other substances, leaving only the carbon, is as good in one locality as another; 
the carbon of coal is alike everywhere, and pig-iron made from Missouri ore, with coke 
from coal that has undergone the purifying process, will answer for making Bessemer 
steel. The Illinois Patent Coke Company in East St. Louis, Theodore Meier, President, 
have erected works for making coke by the Osterspeys patented process, and will in a 
short time be prepared to deliver to furnace-men 2,i300 bushels per day, and there is 
no limit to the quantity that can be made. The process of purifying the coal, the crush- 
ing and washing, is done by machinery, only requiring the labor of three men and the 
mach nery one day to receive from the cars and deliver the purified coal into the coke 



210 APPENDIX. 

ovens. The coke made from the pure carbon is compact and heavy; it will carry a seventy 
per cent, ore on a twenty -foot bosh, and a furnace of that size using this coke will yield 
daily fifty tons of metal. There will be no uncertainty as to the quality; it will be uniform 
day in and day out; every ton maybe relied upon with perfect certainty as suitable for 
Bessemer steel. The working of a furnace with raw coal is a lottery; some days the metal 
will be good and the next day bad. Uniformity is not to be expected, and never could be 
had with all the skill that could be applied. 

By the discovery of Osterspeys, the' making of pig-metal with Missouri ore will become 
an exact science. And since the coal of one locality cm be made as good as any other, 
and it having been demonstrated that Missouri ore is peculiarly well adapted for making 
steel, ought to settle the question you propose. 



St. Louis, July 10, 1S71. 



JNO. MAGWIRE. 



In a previous part of this book wo have given some general statistics 
respecting the iron furnaces at present in operation. The following additional 
facts are of interest, showing the iron produced in 1870 : 

g-Iron produced by Pioneer CarondeWt Furnace 6,000 tons. 

" " Kingsland " 12,000 '« 

11 " South St. Louis •« 6,500 " 

" " Lewis Iron Co 's " 6,000 " 

" l ' Iron Mountain '• 8,553 " 

*« "Pilot Knob »« 2,425 " 

'« •« Irondale " 3,993 " 

" »• Scotia Iron Co.'s " 2,440 " 

" "Moselle '« 3,000 »« 

" " Meramec " 4,000 " 



Aggregate production of Pig-iron in 1870 54,911 tons. 

1S6S. I860. 1870 

Tons ore mined 105,000 195,000 316,000 

Tons ore shipped 47,000 120,000 246,555 

The magnificent Vulcan Iron Works have commenced operations. 



COAL. 

The total receipts of coal for 1870 were 957,259 tons, or 23,931,475 bushels. 
The coal resources contiguous to St. Louis are inexhaustible, and nature 
appears to have prophetically provided them to assist the full development of 
our iron manufactures. 



ZINC. 

The product of this metal in this State during the years mentioned was : 

I860. 1870. 

Zinc ore produced, lbs 4,270.400 8,240,000 

Zinc metal— spelter 723,000 1,545,930 

Value of «• $70,470 $131,404 

Zinc slabs exported 12,449 49,549 



APPENDIX. 



211 



LEAD. 



The total amount of lead received at St. Louis during the year 1870 was 
17,010,410 pounds. The Missouri product was 13,640,370. 

Buildings Erected in St. Louis from January 1 to December 1. 



WARDS. 



First Ward 

Second Ward.... 

Third Ward 

Fourth Ward-.. 

Fitth Ward 

Sixth Ward 

Seventh Ward.. 
Eighth Ward.... 

Ninth Ward 

Tenth Ward 

Eleventh Ward 
Twelfth Ward- 
Total 



Brick and 


Frame. 


stone. 




154 


63 


59 





61 


1 


90 


6 


39 


2 


31 




110 


7 


36 




124 


2 


50 




187 


13 


79 


11 


1,020 


114 1 



Dwellings. 



133 
45 
43 
73 
29 
4 
68 
7 

113 
12 

162 
66 



ii>0 



For business 
purposes. 



84 
23 
19 
23 
12 
27 
49 
29 
13 
38 
38 
24 



379 



Value. 



§1,255,540 
183,365 
283,525 
504,750 
699,400 
1,371,600 
1,304,720 
173,025 
421,250 
153,900 
521,000 
435,450 



$7,307,525 



Most of these structures are of a very substantial character, built of iron, 
brick, stone, or marble, and one of them costing upwards of $300,000, and 
numbers of others more than §50,000 each. 



List of Steamers and Barges plying between St. Louis and oher Ports during 1S70, with 
their Value and Carrying Capacity. 

Steamers, 209 j barges, 229 j total, 438. Value, 06,844,200 ; carrying capacity, 
236,960 tons. This showing of St. Louis tomnage is largely in advance of 
previous years. 



OPERATIONS AT THE CUSTOM HOUSE. 

The following table shows the comparative receipts from all sources of the 
port of St. Louis during the dooade ending December 31, 1870 : 



Year. 



Import 
Duty. 



1861. 
1862. 

1863. 
1864. 
1865. 
1866. 
1867. 
1868. 
1869. 
1870. 



I 14, 

20. 

36 

76. 

686, 

7s">. 

,236 

,403 

,711 

,996 



Tonnage 
Tax. 



93,228 00 
4,1!)1 20 
24,916 86 
24,104 00 
30,269 25 
28,435 22 
27 49] 70 
16,483 57 



Hospital 
1 ax. 



•2,304 60 
4,660 60 
3,644 60 
6,185 5i 

10,271 10 
8,466 60 
8,656 18 
6,244 64 
6,619 o:i 
7,003 64 



Inspec- 
tions. 



$ 771 00 
3,341 25 
4, 10t 00 
5,636 00 
18,848 o. 
11, 7(f) 70 
15,57] 00 
14,044 83 
14,366 9 
14,040 40 



Storage. 



f, 523 00 

950 33 

436 50 

408 45 

720 71 

424 98 

2,413 24 

1,883 18 

2,4*7 42 

1,390 31 



Official 
Fees. 



& 5S5 50 
1,661 80 
1,785 15 
1,890 30 
5,410 40 
4,541 30 
3,558 15 



Collections- 
in Coin. 



$ 14,425 15 
20,404 70 
86,622 oo 
76,418 43 
686,407 o' 
785,651 30 
1,236,793 06 
3,880 15 1,403,997 04 
1,890 0o 1,711,256 l'.t 
2,482 65 1,996,083 49 



Collec'ns 

in 
Currency 



$ 4,184 68 
10,614 98 
13,288 25 
18,311 50 
60,176 14 
49,2*1 J* 



Total 
Collections 



98,609 73 
31,019 68 
40, !iio 34 
91,750 93 
664,683 21 
s;i,o:i5 7* 



60,457 82 1,207.255 88 
53,988 02 1,457,986 66 
62,866 12 1,764,112 31 
41,400 66 2,037,448 15 



212 



APPENDIX. 



A STATISTICAL AND FINANCIAL VIEW OF THE GROWTH OP 

ST. LOUIS. 

Table showing the Census in different years, assessed value of Property, taxes collected, and 

the revenue from various sources. 



isn 

1812 
1818 
1819 

1820 
1821 
1822 

1823 
1824 
1825 
18-26 
1827 
1828 
1829 

is30 

1831 
183-2 
1833 
1834 
J 83") 
1836 
1837 
1838 
1839 
1840 

1841 

184-2 
1843 
1st 4 
1845 
1846 
1847 
1848 
I- 19 
1850 
1851 
1852 
1853 
1854 
1855 
1856 
1857 
1858 
1859 
1860 
1861 
1862 
1863 
1864 
1865 
1866 
1867 
1868 
1869 
1870 



Census. 



Aes< esed 
value of 
properly. 



Taxes 
assessed. 



4,928 



5,000 



6,897 

"8,310 
14",252 



10,400 



34,140 
30,721 



94,000 



97, 
125, 

135 
14:; 
160 



$134, 

134, 

1,218, 

1,132, 

1,021, 

955, 

956, 

810, 
1,028, 

788, 
1,003, 
1,175, 
1,510, 
1,906, 
1,830, 
2,080, 
'2,33S, 
2,100, 
2,063, 
2,221, 
8,138, 
7,425, 
8,169, 
7,730, 
8,573, 
8,957, 



510 00 

313 0(1 

390 62 

103 :-3 
140 00 
:c,n i hi 
170 00 
004 00 
'217 00 
108 00 
S70 (ill 
380 00 
332 00 

392 oo 
616 00 

002 00 
584 00 
072 00 
688 00 
888 00 

104 00 
018 (0 
057 00 
260 00 
002 00 
108 00 



8,308,480 41 
13,983,923 30 
14,519,591 53 
15,202,120 37 
16,665,145 75 



,456 



29, 

3.V 

38i 
39 

11 

12 

59 

73 
82 

92 

10'2 
90, 
83 
66 

71 

99 



164 

204J327 108 

106 

110 

... 130 

864 143 



310 



649 27 
855 19 
668 96 

186 33 
021 13 
757 00 
000 OH 
(-43 01 
■110 00 
870 00 
232 00 
407 00 
000 00 
•202 00 
533 I o 
: 68 00 
391 00 

34(1 00 

930 d" 
l-o 00 
950 ('() 



$ 072 58 

117 71 

4;873 56 

3, 300 40 

3,. ".85 54 

3,828 8ii 

3,824 68 

4,050 32 

5,137 54 

1,070 42 

•2,500 69 

2,938 45 

3,775 83 

4,705 95 

4,570 54 

3,400 77 

3,897 04 

3,745 84 

'2,759 61 

8,332 0s 

20,015 41 

24,75-2 00 

33,108 75 

39,000 55 

43,291 56 

45,088 01 



Taxes 
cillected. 



Merchants.! 
dram shops 
and other I 

licenses. I 



Water- 
works. 



Wharfage 



$ 700 00 
4,454 77 
3,486 77 
2,211 62 
2,228 44 



200 CO 1 
415 01 



507 5(i 

031 00 : 



7.78S G'2 
486 00 
1 2bl 07 
2,108 40 
1,750 91 
3,410 62 
1,074 87 
2.880 20 
2,274 55 



74,795 23 
122,411 82 
145,185 01 
152,02] 20 
174,983 99 



81S 06 

3,827 16 

11,014 03 

•22,924 88 

28,257 79 

48,738 54 

40,195 96 

39,408 57 

42,113 55 

92,683 51 

116,774 19 

145,072 26 

143,513 31 

170,029 08 



4,273 82 
1,966 96 
2,114 13 
5,686 63 
4.034 12 
6,887 o- 
6,( 85 9; 
S,596 57 



7,955 00 
9,819 87 
13,270 23 
21,317 30 
18,415 75 
21,087 50 



214.045 SO! 
386,824 45| 
4113,019 36 
425,586 22 
425, 407 01 
459,008 14 

"667J43i'02 
752,457 99 

917,235 03 

1,033,019 01 

830,049 74 

598,448 15 

Oil 934 20 

858,752 71 

1,1 1)5, 031 12 

1,4*0,385 99 

1,432.481 93 

1,1 3,789 65 

1,875,899 55 

2,135,400 80 



24,409 00 
25, K36 00 

25,357 2* 
21,23s 00 
23,843 87 
31,350 99 
34,796 09 



257,899 80 
354,241 96 
379,097 44 
403,241 00 
417,587 51 
449,639 06 
553,711 74 
580,208 33 
720,175 41 
904, 28 1 69 
924,427 13 
558,237 47 
528,354 03 
078,125 92 
868,617 56 
,111,089 21 1 
,122,433 23 
,243,755 95 
,427,316 31 
,879,700 35 
,012 936 20 



62,048 06 

73,570 91 
81,459 82 
85,212 i '■( i 
89,270 47 
98,025 50 
119,025 50 
128 522 49 
127,719 Id 
3 47,414 99 
132,898 66 

112,886 59 

146, 184 16 
132,064 77 

125, 682 84 
194,512 81 

206, 178 67 

250 791 40 
201,461 31 
317, 409 53 
315,564 46 



$4,588 73 

5,338 21 

8.372 13 

12,694 II 

20,517 25 

20,672 10 

14,954 31 

12,507 8! 

13,402 10 

J 1,518 60 

15,442 r 

17,858 50 
25,538 

21,167 92 

"k', 943*78 

80,824 85 

36,995 88 

49.805 04 

51,735 20 

70,. 'ISO 47 

08. 5! '7 20 

84 021 96 

87,852 20 

99,501 88 

114,760 55 

147,120 95 

170 318 30 

208,340 00 

248,268 33 

248,575 30 

288,910 07 

321,412 50 

323,102 00 

335,026 91 



$ 686 37 
107 07 
611 60 
1 607 71 
1,208 17 
1,350 97 
1,285 38 
1,594 99 



3,236 90 
5,151 32 
9,485 20 
10,049 43 
10,441 97 
11,510 70 



Miscella- 
neous 
sources. 



Total 
revenue. 



$407 11 
355 00 
227 81 
421 87 
574 62 



4,418 25 
507 32 
734 70 
1,984 48 
10,365 60 
9,310 00 
5,245 0' 
5,585 52 



7,281 49 
8,050 69 
5,5.54 61 
14,802 77 
13,710 41 
23,048 43 



10 29,622 08 
30,022 68 
14,662 76 
18,678 11 

19,925 07 
18,142 04 

19,840 40 



120,328 

53,750 

62,510 

129,245 

212,874 

273,089 

205,473 

181,717 

IS 101,541 

72 124 OSS 

66 134,784 

85 78,834 

36 lo7,417 
90 100.477 
07 176,870 
oo 135,417 
88 105.217 
45 100,009 
43 147,013 
72 163,446 

37 215,341 



$1,307 11 
5,224 77 
4,164 58 
3,200 99 
3,435 22 



17,161 02 
3,217 44 
4 631 50 

11,887 22 

17.436 80 
20,960 17 
14,291 80 
18,654 28 



24 504 oi 
31,432 77 
41,263 94 
78,060 51 
83,520 03 
125,988 48 



123,044 42 
130,225 23 
163,514 51 
194,848 24 
227,332 90 
236,081 2s 
261,035 70 



518, 
559, 
615, 



831 

954 

1,020 

1,016 

1,167. 
71 1,345 

59 1,874 

51 902! 
87 933 
79 1,131 
92 1,463 
89 1,773 
50 1,820 

00 2, 025 

01 2,213 
75 2,770 
12 2,073 



132 CO 
452 15 
576 21 
956 84 
544 02 
647 57 
869 '■•! 
S16 25 
596 63 
773 02 
415 59 
28 1 67 
404 37 
134 63 
895 02 

652 21 
631 64 
360 02 
771 56 
018 35 
296 06 



llhiuk spaces indicate that the records are incomplete or lost. 



APPENDIX. 



213 





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214 



APPENDIX. 



CENSUS OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI. 



A Complete Exhibit — Returns of each County as Certified by the Census Superintendent 



<.< Mrs. Pop'n 

Adair I 

\ "l]l"W 15 

Atehison 8.440 

Audrain 12 

Barry L< 

Barton 

9 ' 

Benton ; I 

B .llinger 

Boonp 21 

Buchanan 35.109 

Butler 

Caldwell ' I 

iwav 19 

Camden' 

■ Girardeau 17,558 

< !an oil ■ 

Cass i 

Carter 

Cedar 

Chariton 19 

Clark 

Clav I 

Clinton 1 

Cole 10.292 

Cooper 

Christian 

Crawford '■ 

Dade 8.68a 

Dallas 8.383 

Daviess 11.410 

DeKalb 9.858 

Dent 6.357 

Douglas 

Dunklin 5.982 

Franklin 30,098 

Gasconade 10,093 

Gentry 11 .607 

Greene 21,549 

Grundy 10,567 

Harrison I 

Henry 17.401 

Hickory 

Holt... 11,652 

Howard 17 

Howell 

[ron 

Jackson 

Jasper 

rson 

. : "lin-"ii 

Knox 

Laclede 

Lafayette 2 

Lawrence I3.06S 

Lewis 15.114 

eoln 14.073 

Linn 



Pop'n 

Livingston 16.730 

23.230 

ison 5.849 

Maries 5.915 

m 22 504 

McDonald 5 226 

Mercer 1] 557 

■ 6.616 

issippi 4.982 

iteau li ,335 

Monroe 17.149 

Montgomery 10.405 

Morgan ' 8 434 

' tJrid 6.3.07 

on 12.821 

way 14.751 

ron 3.287 

Ozark 3.303 

■ 10.7'.)?! 

liscol 2.059 

Perry 9 877 

PHtis 18.706 

Phelps 10.506 

P1ke 23.076 

Platte 17,352 

Polk 12.446 

Pulaski 4.714 

Putnam 11.217 

Hulls \... 10.510 

Randolph 15,908 

Kay 18.700 

Reynolds 3.756 

Ripley 3.175 

si. Charles 21.304 

St. (Hair 6.742 

St. Francois 9.741 

Sre. Genevieve 8,384 

St. Louis 351.189 

Saline 21,672 

Schuyler 7.987 

land 10.67C 

Scon 7.317 

Shannon 2.33£ 

by 10, 11£ 

Stoddard „ 8,53fi 

e 3,252 

Sullivan 11, 90S 

Tanev 4.407 

as 9,618 

11,246 

Warren 9.67; 

lington 11,71£ 

Wi \ ne 6,06$ 

1 10,434 

h 5,004 

Wright 5,684 

Total 1.717,256 



FRANCIS A. WALKER, Superintendent of Census. 



A PPPP1VP JfP^P 



Thus have I written a new record — a nw prophecy of a city central to a 
continent of resources, whose productive energies are greater than those possessed 
bv all the 7V0rld besides, and upon which is destined to reside a population 
greater than now exists on the globe — of a city which T know will stand upon 
the American continent " in the latter day " the grandest material achievement 
of the civilization of the world — a city destined to become the all- directing head 
and the cetitral moving heart of the great family of man — a city from out 
ivhose throbbing life and comprehensive brain will go forth new laws and nciv 
principles of civilization for the better government of states and nations — a 
city destined to control the commerce of more than one hundred thousand miles 
of railway, reaching with equal facility to every extremity of the continent, to 
gather the surplus products of more than one hundred populous States, and to 
whose central life more than one hundred continental cities, populous and pow- 
erful, as all the present existing cities of the globe, will contribute prosperity 
and greatness — a city which, in its perfect development, its territorial expanse, 
its architectural elaboration, its industrial growth, its commercial supremacy, its 
financial power, its achievements in art, its fame in literature, its mental strength, 
its moral purity, and its perfect government, will flash upon the mind of the 
human race, and the world will behold in America the city of prophecy — the 

Apocalyptic City — 

"■The New Jerusalem, the ancient seer 
Of Patmos sa7v." 

All hail! mistress of nations, and beautiful queen of civilization ! I view 
thee in the light of thy destiny. Thou art transfigured before me from thy 
present state to one infinitely more grand, and which overshadows and dwarfs 
all civic forms in history. 

The influence of thy empire will pervade the world with invisible and electric 
force. Yet, vivifying and benignant capital — emporium of trade and industry, 
seat of learning and best-applied labor, pivotal point in history, supreme and 
superb city of all lands — / behold thy majesty from afar, and salute thee rev- 
erently as the consummation of all that the best human energies can accomplish 
for the elevation and happiness of our race. 

All hail! Future Great City of the World, and "Glory to God in the 
Highest, and on Earth Peace, Good-will toward Men !" 




ir 1 



H 74 



W/ Vw> V«V v^v v*^ 
♦• °o ./.-as&X £*XBk?°* s*s£*kS. 



'°JX 



















































HECKMAN 

BINDERY INC. 

gg^ JAN 90* 








